When Kyrgyz police stormed the office of investigative journalism outlet Temirov LIVE on January 22 and arrested chief editor Bolot Temirov on drug charges, it sounded the alarm about press freedom in Kyrgyzstan.

A Bishkek court has put Raimbek Matraimov, former deputy head of the Kyrgyzstan’s Customs Service, in pre-trial detention on Saturday, after the State Committee for National Security (GKNB) rearrested him last week.

Kyrgyz law enforcement officers on Thursday arrested Kamchybek Aslanbek, aliasKamchybek Kolbayev, one of the Kyrgyzstan’s top organized crime bosses.

Raiymbek Matraimov is in custody. Kyrgyzstan National Security (GKNB) officers Tuesday arrested Matraimov, the  former deputy chairman of the country’s Customs Service (GTS). He is suspected of stealing millions of dollars from the country’s budget since 2016, GKNB said in a statement.

Newly appointed Kyrgyz authorities have opened an investigation into corruption at the Kyrgyzstan’s State Customs Service (GTS), suspected of stealing millions of dollars from the country’s budget since 2016.