What is behind the kidnapping of Uzbek billionaire Olimov in France?

The kidnapping of a major Uzbek businessman in Paris, carried out in circumstances reminiscent of a thriller film, and his subsequent release for ransom became one of the most discussed events of the week. According to available information, the main shareholder of Anorbank, Kahramon Olimov, was illegally detained in the French capital on June 23 and pressured to pay 10 million dollars; after an advance payment of 200 thousand dollars, the businessman was released.

According to Le Monde, which is familiar with the investigation materials, the 48-year-old banker arrived in France on June 22 for negotiations with local partners and for purchasing real estate. On the same day, while he was in the bar of his hotel, a distinctively dressed woman who introduced herself as Anastasia approached him and offered to get acquainted. This woman, who said she worked at a beauty salon in Turkey and spoke English and Russian, invited Olimov to a fish restaurant for lunch. After leaving the hotel and walking a few steps, they were stopped by an unknown man speaking Russian with a “Chechen accent,” who, together with two accomplices, twisted Olimov’s arms and took him away in a minibus.

After driving for several hours, the banker was taken to a house with a high fence. There, Kahramon Olimov came face to face with one of the trusted people of his former banking colleague B.R. During the investigation, Olimov described B.R. as a “thief-in-law” and a member of an influential criminal structure. According to Olimov, the disagreement between them was related to shares in the bank: B.R. accused Olimov of selling his stake in that bank while he was temporarily in exile in Turkey.

The kidnappers first kept Olimov in that house, and then in the basement of a villa in Nice, where they violently beat him and even imitated putting a knife to his throat. In the end, the banker was forced to write a promissory note for 5 million dollars. After he transferred a 200 thousand dollar advance to an intermediary in Tashkent via his driver, he was released.

The French press described the event as “a real abduction in the prestigious districts of Paris.” The publication states that even the French police and prosecutor’s office were surprised by such “detective-novel-like events.” After the victim’s statement, the police arrested a suspect of Turkish origin. Olimov immediately returned to Tashkent and hired a bodyguard to enhance his personal security. The person suspected of organizing the abduction continues to send threats and demands via Telegram. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!