In response to his question, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Nurbek Abdieff reported that 226 citizens involved in the so-called "dropper" schemes had been detained in the country. He emphasized that not only the sale of SIM cards but also of bank cards is illegal.
"The number of such crimes is decreasing every day. People are beginning to realize that such actions have criminal consequences," noted Abdieff.
At that moment, the implementation of the resolution of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic dated June 25, 2025, No. 3297-VII, concerning measures to counter fraudulent activities in the banking sector and online, was also discussed.
Note:
The term "dropper" refers to participation in money laundering schemes, where a person (dropper) provides their banking details for the transfer of funds obtained through criminal means. In international practice, a similar term is "money mule," which refers to individuals who move illegally obtained money on behalf of criminals.
According to the definition by the FBI, a money mule is someone who transfers illegal funds on behalf of others, thereby assisting in the laundering of proceeds from fraud.
The U.S. Department of Justice describes such individuals as those who, at the direction of third parties, receive and move money obtained from fraud victims, with some of them possibly being aware of the criminal nature of their actions, while others may not. Similar definitions are provided in materials from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), where money mules are viewed as individuals involved in the transportation and laundering of stolen funds. Participation in such schemes can lead to criminal liability.
