Kazakhstan's Financial Police announced today that a second Kazakh citizen suspected in a high-profile smuggling case has been detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.
The Kazakh authorities are currently holding talks with UAE officials on Baqyt Otarbaev's possible extradition.
The financial police issued an international arrest warrant for Otarbaev last month in connection with an investigation into the illegal transportation of goods to and from neighboring China via the Qorghas and Qalzhat border crossing points.
On May 31, the Kazakh financial police announced the detention of Talghat Qaiyrbaev in Abu Dhabi on May 29 at the request of Interpol. Qaiyrbaev is also a major suspect in the case.
Some 100 people, including several high-ranking Kazakh customs officials, were arrested last month on suspicion of shipping goods illegally to and from China.
Kazakh Customs Committee head Qozy-Korpesh Karibozov stepped down in the wake of the arrests.