Tajik police detain man accused of promising jobs in Slovakia to 22 citizens

Tajik law enforcement authorities have detained a resident of Vahdat Township on suspicion of organizing illegal migration after allegedly promising employment in Slovakia to 22 Tajik citizens.
The suspect, identified by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) as Kholmahmad Taghoybekov, also known as Hoji Kholmad, is accused of recruiting job seekers and arranging their travel to Uzbekistan under the pretext of securing work opportunities in Europe.
According to the Interior Ministry, Taghoybekov took the group to Tashkent, where they reportedly waited for nearly 20 days before being told they would need to complete driving courses and obtain additional documents before departing for Slovakia.
The victims each paid more than 700 $ and were issued cards and electronic chips that organizers claimed would be used for employment in Slovakia. Investigators later determined that the documents were valid only in Uzbekistan and had no connection to legal employment in Europe.
Authorities say that seven months after the arrangements were made, none of the applicants had been sent to any European country.
According to the investigation, each victim spent more than 12,000 somoni on document processing, registration fees, travel, accommodation, and food. In addition, Taghoybekov allegedly collected another 1,300 somoni from each participant.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs said the suspect had previously been prosecuted on four separate occasions. The investigation is ongoing.
The case follows another major employment fraud scheme uncovered in Tajikistan earlier this year. Authorities reported that at least 69 citizens fell victim to a company that promised jobs in the United Kingdom, causing losses totaling nearly 2 million somoni.
The embassies of the United Kingdom and Germany in Dushanbe have repeatedly urged citizens to be cautious of unofficial job advertisements offering work in Europe and to avoid using intermediaries when applying for visas or seeking overseas employment.

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