IOLR

Despite constant warnings from law enforcement agencies, citizens of Azerbaijan continue to fall victim to cybercriminals who empty their bank cards using various schemes, Oxu.Az reports with reference to the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

According to the department, cyber fraud schemes are constantly changing, but the principles remain the same. Citizens are strongly advised to block suspicious calls and messages from abroad related to bank cards, not responding to them and not clicking on fake links. Otherwise, money from the bank card will be stolen.

“On April 7, various citizens had money stolen from their bank cards using various cyber methods in various amounts, from 50 to 17,450 manats, a total of about 67 thousand manats,” the report says.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs once again calls on citizens to be attentive to attractive offers of earnings, insurance, strengthening bank accounts, payments on income received from unknown persons. In no case should personal bank data be given to strangers.

Individuals who extorted money from citizens under the guise of journalists, threatening to disseminate defamatory information on social networks, have been brought to criminal responsibility.

According to oxu.az, based on appeals from several residents of Sumgayit, Shirvan, Astara and Goychay, employees of the Main Department for Combating Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs detained the editor-in-chief of the satirical magazine İynə (“Needle”), 62-year-old Baloglan Mirzaliyev, and the editor, 55-year-old Elkhan Heydarov, previously convicted of fraud and extortion.

A criminal case has been opened on this fact, investigative measures are ongoing.

In Azerbaijan, individuals accused of smuggling medicines into the country and receiving bribes for patronizing this activity have been exposed, Oxu.Az reports with reference to a joint statement by the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the State Customs Committee (SCC). The preliminary investigation of the criminal case initiated against the illegal actions of employees of the Khachmaz Customs Department of the SCC involved in committing the crime continues at the Main Anti-Corruption Department under the Prosecutor General.

During the investigation, reasonable suspicions arose that the operative of the Operational Investigation Department of the Khachmaz Customs Department, Hidayat Mamedov, and the inspector of the Azerterminalcomplex association, seconded to this department, Bayram Mamedov, having previously entered into a conspiracy and using their official position, received a bribe from citizen Arzu Abdullayev, who contacted them, for ensuring the transportation of a vehicle driven by Khaisuf Hajiyev and loaded with medicines and other goods through the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, bypassing customs control.

Based on the collected primary evidence, Hidayat Mamedov was charged under Articles 32.5, 206.3.2 (aiding and abetting smuggling committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy), 308.2 (abuse of office resulting in grave consequences), 311.3.1 and 311.3.2 (repeated acceptance of a bribe by a group of persons by prior conspiracy), Bayram Mamedov – under Articles 308.2 and 311.3.1, and Arzu Abdullaev and Khaisuf Gadzhiev – under Articles 200-1.2.2 (illegal circulation of medicines committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy), 200-1.2.3 (illegal circulation of medicines on a large scale) and 206.3.2 (smuggling committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy) of the Criminal Code.

The Baku Court of Grave Crimes has sentenced Elshan Najafov, a defendant in a case of preparing an assassination attempt on the life of a state or public figure, to 12 years in prison, Report informs.

During the hearing, the accused asked to continue the trial behind closed doors and to remove those present from the courtroom to make his final statement. The accused’s request was granted. Then the verdict was announced, Elshan Najafov was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He will serve his sentence in a maximum security correctional facility.

Elshan Najafov was detained in September 2023 during a special operation conducted by the State Security Service (SSG). According to the charges brought against Elshan Najafov, he, having entered into a conspiracy with another citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan residing in the territory of a foreign state, was preparing to commit terrorist acts against officials of foreign states arriving in Azerbaijan, as well as state and public figures of Azerbaijan at public events. He was charged under Articles 28, 277 (preparation for an attempt on the life of a state or public figure), 214-2 (public calls for terrorism), 167-3.1 (production, storage or distribution of religious extremist materials, that is, materials calling for the implementation of religious extremist activities or substantiating or justifying the need for such activities), 281.2 (public calls directed against the state) of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic.