14:45

An organized group that blackmailed the country nationals with intimate videos was exposed

The State Security Service (SSS) has investigated the information about the blackmail of nationals of the Republic of Azerbaijan with intimate videos and the organization of the distribution of such videos through various social networks during 2021.

An investigation group has been set up in the Main Investigation Department of the State Security Service to investigate the criminal case under Article 182.3.1  , 182.3.2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (extortion of large sums of money by an organized group with the threat of disseminating defamatory information about victims and their close relatives), 272.2.1 and 272.2.2 (recapture of computer data using technical means), complex investigative-operational and operational-technical measures were carried out.

It was established that the members of the organized group made video calls to various accounts of nationals of the Republic of Azerbaijan through fake accounts created on Facebook, incited intimate behavior, using special software to call and interact with the users. They recorded the screen window and later contacted the citizens via Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, displayed disgraceful material about them and their close relatives, and demanded that large sums of money be sent to multiple accounts through international money transfer systems under the threat of distribution.

Large-scale investigative measures were taken to obtain IP addresses and other subscriber information of the devices used by members of criminal networks to connect to internet from abroad. The identities of 32 people included in the network were identified and more than 200 citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan were harmed as a result of ongoing criminal acts on the basis of technical traces and money transfers.

As a part of international legal assistance procedures in the criminal case, the organizers of the criminal acts were identified as residing in the Republic of Bulgaria, and together with the law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Bulgaria, search, interrogation and other intensive investigative actions were conducted at Silistra province. Organizers, perpetrators and mediators of criminal acts were exposed at the committing a crime, numerous computers, mobile phones and technical equipment containing video materials, voice messages and correspondence indicating the blackmail of Azerbaijani and other foreign citizens were confiscated and attached to the criminal case file. Ongoing criminal activities were prevented by restricting access to video materials on network accounts.

Foreign nationals Gyurdzhan Stoyanov, Tezdzhan Stoyanov, Sevinch Niyazi and others, whose criminal acts were exposed, were brought to justice as the accused and were arrested. International legal procedures are currently being conducted.

The criminal case is under investigation.