Eliminating a criminal group leader does not automatically mean the destruction of the entire structure, its financial resources, and connections. This was stated by former Interior Minister Omurbek Suvanaliev in a podcast by journalist Ernis Kiyazov.
Transformation of criminal structures
According to the former minister, Kolbaev's circle is a system that cannot cease to exist instantly. He suggested that following the crime boss's death, his associates may have changed their methods and moved away from the public eye.
"Kolbaev is dead, but the people who were close to him have not disappeared anywhere. Were some of them detained? They simply claimed they had ceased their activities. But that does not mean crime has vanished,"
Suvanaliev noted that criminal elements may have simply taken another path and continued their business covertly. However, he did not provide specific evidence of the current activities of the former structures.
As a past example, the former minister cited the situation with Ryspek Akmatbaev. At one time, after a period of being wanted and a seeming lull in the criminal world, Akmatbaev reappeared and restored his influence following the events of 2005.
Context
Omurbek Suvanaliev serves as the Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of the Kyrgyz Republic. He previously headed the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs.
