The ministry says four alleged organizers were on an international wanted list. A court has ordered their pretrial detention, while investigations involving the other detainees continue.
Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry says a joint operation with Ukrainian police in Kyiv detained 11 Azerbaijani nationals suspected of involvement in a cyberfraud network and brought them back to Azerbaijan. The ministry’s account was published by OC Media.
The ministry identified Nariman Iskenderov, Elsun Aliyev, Elshad Musayev and Elshan Shukurov as the alleged main organizers and said they had been placed on an international wanted list.
The operation follows earlier fraud cases involving both countries. In June 2024, Azerbaijan’s State Security Service said Ukrainian law enforcement agencies had prosecuted members of an international network that used fake investment advertisements and manipulated videos impersonating Azerbaijani officials and companies. A further 2 Azerbaijani nationals involved in that scheme were subsequently prosecuted in Azerbaijan.
Investigators allege the network ran illegal call centers disguised as service companies in several Ukrainian cities. Organizers allegedly recruited workers through Telegram advertisements offering high salaries for information technology and customer-service jobs.
The ministry says workers used prepared scripts to impersonate banks, police, mobile operators and investment companies. They allegedly told Azerbaijani citizens that suspicious transactions had occurred, their money was at risk or their cards would be blocked. The callers then allegedly persuaded people to transfer money to supposedly secure accounts or disclose card details and text-message verification codes. Other approaches allegedly offered investments promising high returns.
The ministry also accused five other detainees—Ruslan Zakirov, Yasaf Bayramov, Elsevar Mammadov, Dmitry Dushin and Ruslan Matveyev— of helping launder the alleged fraud proceeds—moving money to conceal its criminal origin. Investigators allege they communicated with network members abroad through Telegram and collected money in bank accounts linked to cards they controlled. They allegedly kept an agreed percentage, converted the remainder into cryptocurrency and transferred it abroad.
A criminal case has been opened under Azerbaijan’s criminal code. A court has ordered pretrial detention for the alleged organizers, while investigations involving the other detainees continue. The report does not specify the individual charges or the returned nationals’ subsequent custody status. The ministry has not disclosed the number of victims or the total amount allegedly stolen.
The ministry urged people to be cautious of social-media job offers promising high salaries or easy money. It also warned bank customers not to share card details, text-message verification codes or other confidential information with unknown individuals.
The decision makes final a judgment holding Azerbaijan responsible for the unlawful killing and torture of Armenian serviceman H.T. and for his family’s psychological suffering.
2 min
The court denied the Trump administration’s emergency request on 2 November after lower courts rejected its bid. The administration alleges the mail ballots came from noncitizens.
2 min
The European Commission has cleared the Chinese e-commerce company’s acquisition of the German electronics retailer, provided JD.com complies with the remedies offered.
1 min
