The defendants promised citizens the purchase of cars in a short time. Having received the first payments, the scammers disappeared without a trace.

In Tashkent, four representatives of the Uz Avto Premium and Avto Alo Group MT companies were sentenced, who fraudulently received 12 billion soums from 248 people, the Zamon program of the Sevimli TV channel reported.

According to the victims, the companies promised to deliver Cobalt, Nexia 3, Gentra, Malibu and Isuzu vehicles within two weeks. However, after they transferred the initial payments, the representatives of the company disappeared without a trace.

It was established that 12 billion soums received as an initial payment through banking institutions were cashed out through the company’s corporate card. The companies themselves were founded illegally.

One of the defendants during the trial stated that he allegedly did not know that it was a scam.

According to the court verdict, the 29-year-old head of Uz Avto Premium was found guilty of committing crimes under Paragraphs “a, v”, Part 4 of Article 168 (fraud committed on an especially large scale by an organized group), Paragraphs “a” and “b”, Part 2 of Article 228 (production, forgery of documents, stamps, seals, forms, their sale or use repeatedly or by a dangerous recidivist by prior agreement by a group of persons) and Article 243 (money laundering) of the Criminal Code. He was sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison.

The 26-year-old defendant, found guilty under similar articles, was sentenced to 9 years in prison.

The 27-year-old head of Avto Alo Group MT was found guilty of committing crimes under Paragraphs “a, v”, Part 4 of Article 168, Paragraph “a” and “b”, Part 2 of Article 228, Article 243 and Paragraph “a, b” Part 2 of Article 277 (hooliganism) of the Criminal Code. He was sentenced to 8 years and 6 months in prison.

The 30-year-old defendant was found guilty of committing crimes under Paragraph “a, v”, Part 4 of Article 168 and Paragraph “a” and “b”, Part 2 of Article 228. He was sentenced to 5 years of restraint of liberty.

The court also ruled to recover damages from the defendants in a joint and several order in favor of 232 victims.