“Grease my palm”: Kazakh traveler alleges extortion by Kyrgyz police officer

A Kazakh traveler has accused a Kyrgyz police officer of attempted extortion, tarnishing the country's image during his road expedition. Marat Sadykov reported the incident after completing a 36-day journey through Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan.

According to Sadykov, the alleged encounter occurred in Korday, just before he crossed the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border. He claims a police officer stopped his vehicle without identifying himself and demanded to see his documents. The officer reportedly raised several issues regarding the vehicle's equipment, specifically stating that the car was only permitted to have one fog light, which needed to be covered.

"In the end, he reached his hand through the vehicle door, hinting that he wanted me to ‘grease his palm.’ I gave him the remaining soms. The amount was small. I was very tired and did not want to argue, I just wanted to go home," the traveler wrote on his social media.

Sadykov, who has traveled to over 20 countries in Europe and Asia, stated that he had never encountered such treatment towards Kazakh drivers before. The Kyrgyz police have not yet provided an official comment regarding the allegations made by Sadykov.

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In the end, he reached his hand through the vehicle door, hinting that he wanted me to ‘grease his palm.’ I gave him the remaining soms. The amount was small. I was very tired and did not want to argue, I just wanted to go home.