A Tashkent court on July 19 sentenced notorious Uzbek criminal kingpin Baxtiyor Qudratullaev, known in the criminal world as Bakhti Tashkentsky, to 20 years in prison on charges of extortion and illegal drugs possession. The 53-year-old, who is considered a "thief in law," which gives him an elite status in the criminal hierarchy of the former Soviet Union, is a close associate of another Uzbek kingpin, Salim Abduvaliev, who was sentenced to six years in prison in March on charges of illegally possessing and transporting arms and explosives. Abduvaliev is believed to have ties with top Uzbek officials and leaders of the so-called Brothers' Circle, a Eurasian drug-trafficking network. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, click here.
Notorious Uzbek Criminal Kingpin Gets 20 Years In Prison
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