Translated with AI
In Kazakhstan, organizers of criminal schemes using droppers have begun kidnapping people and threatening violence after their bank accounts were frozen. One such case was reported by the Financial Monitoring Agency of Kazakhstan, Tengrinews.kz reports.
Since the beginning of 2026, the agency has dismantled 33 dropper cells involved in money laundering. Law enforcement agencies have identified more than 40 organizers of criminal schemes that involved over 500 people in illegal activities.
According to the Financial Monitoring Agency, illegal financial transactions totaling over 112 billion tenge were conducted through dropper bank accounts. In the last two months alone, law enforcement agencies have blocked over a thousand drop cards.
Droppers are people whose bank accounts and payment cards are used by fraudsters to withdraw and cash out stolen funds. Typically, the accounts registered in these accounts are used to transfer or withdraw illegally obtained funds.
Kidnapping of 18-year-old account holder
In the West Kazakhstan region, officers from the Financial Monitoring Agency's department disrupted the activities of an international network of so-called "dropper operators." The network's members used citizens' bank accounts to launder funds obtained through online fraud.
The investigation established that approximately 17 million tenge had been transferred through one of the accounts. After it was blocked, members of an organized group kidnapped the account's 18-year-old owner.
According to the agency, the young man was forced under threat of violence to restore access to his bank accounts.
Converting money into cryptocurrency
Another dropper scheme was uncovered in the Zhetisu region. A local resident responded to an ad for money posted on social media.
On the instructions of her handlers, she used personal bank accounts to receive funds obtained through online fraud.
After receiving the funds, the woman converted them into cryptocurrency and transferred them to the accounts of the scheme's organizers. She received a commission for each transaction.
Students and minors were put under investigation
In the Turkestan region, a drug dropper scheme was coordinated by an anonymous curator via Telegram.
According to the Financial Monitoring Agency, the organizer recruited students and minors. In exchange for monetary compensation, the young people would hand over access to their online banking systems.
As a result, more than 20 young people were put under investigation.
The Financial Monitoring Agency of Kazakhstan reminded that participation in dropper schemes entails criminal liability.
