US suspects smuggling son of former Kyrgyz ambassador

At least two Central Asians are suspected in the United States of smuggling and arms trafficking. One of the suspects is the son of the former ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to the United States. The second, reportedly a citizen of Kazakhstan, reports "Radio Liberty«.

Citizen of Kyrgyzstan Tengiz Sydykov, son of the former Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to the United States Zamira Sydykova, suspected of involvement in arms smuggling. Photo - personal archive

The son of former ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to the United States, Zamira Sydykova, 28-year-old Tengiz Sydykov, detained in the US along with 27-year-old Eldar Rezvanov, who is listed as a citizen of Kazakhstan in some Western media, was released on March 1, but continues to be under investigation. Young people who were detained on February 27, as previously reported by the prosecutor's office of the Eastern District of Virginia, are suspected of smuggling weapons.

Eldar Rezvanov, according to the court of the American city of Alexandria, left in custody.

According to American prosecutors, Central Americans Sydykov and Rezvanov, who live in Alexandria, Virginia, allegedly bought about a hundred pieces of firearms and tried to send them to Chechnya without a proper license, under the guise of kitchen appliances.

Former Kyrgyz ambassador to the US, Zamira Sydykova, reported 1 in March that her son Tengiz Sydykova, who lived in Washington, was mistakenly accused of smuggling firearms into the North Caucasus. Sydykova, who served as ambassador to the US from 2005 to 2010, is now known in Kyrgyzstan as a journalist and editor of the independent newspaper. ResPublica.

Former Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to the USA Zamira Sydykova and her son Tengiz Sydykov. Photo: akipress.org

Zamira Sydykova says that Rezvanova, whom she described as her son's former roommate, was detained after a search at the house. “Tengiz went to the police station to find out the details and support a friend, but the police detained him too, because the apartment where Eldar was detained was registered for them. Eldar is a citizen of Kazakhstan, ”Sydykova told a Kyrgyz news site. Kaktus.media.

Sydykov and Rezvanov are accused of violating the US law on the control of the export of weapons regulating the sale of weapons abroad, as well as of conspiracy to smuggle out of the United States, banking fraud and money laundering.

According to Sydykova, her son worked in the USA in an IT company. “What Eldar did in the USA, I, unfortunately, do not know,” says Sydykova.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan 1 March reported that it checks the citizenship of the suspects.

So far, it has not been possible to get a comment on the reports on the Kazakhstan citizenship of Eldar Rezvanov at the Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan.

The British BBC media company writes that Rezvanov was renting a room in Alexandria from Sydykov, and was in the United States waiting for an answer to his asylum request.

Newspaper published in Japan Diplomat He writes with reference to the materials of the case filed to the court that Eldar Rezvanov, Tengiz Sydykov and another person, Chingiz Sydykov, brother of Tengiz Sydykov, are likely to be involved in the transfer of money from foreign banks in order to purchase parts for pistols and machine guns, weapons fragments they allegedly tried to send them to Chechnya under the guise of kitchen utensils. At the same time, there is no information about the status of Chingiz Sydykov: it is not indicated whether he was detained and whether any charges were brought against him. The apartment rented by Tengiz Sydykov in Alexandria was used as an address for receiving postal parcels. Newspaper Diplomat notes that the weapon that could be assembled from the parts purchased by young people cannot be traced ballistically.

The American media report that if the guilt of young people is proven, they face up to 20 years in prison.

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