In Azerbaijan, individuals involved in the delivery of cars from the United States have been convicted. According to Oxu.Az, the dealers were accused of fraud amounting to approximately half a million manats. Based on complaints, 34-year-old Tapdyg Garayev, 33-year-old Orkhan Shukurov, and 24-year-old Beyler Akhmedzade were charged. The first two were remanded in custody.
According to the investigation, the trio created the Instagram page Bidgroup.az in early 2023, through which they offered services to import and sell cars from the United States. Posing as official dealers of Lion Trans, they promised to deliver luxury vehicles, including a Jeep Wrangler, BMW F10, BMW X7, Range Rover, and BMW G30, within 2-3 months.
Aflatun Hasanov, Elsevyar Huseynov, and Kanan Sakhibov, who were recognized as victims, paid a total of approximately 500,000 manat for the orders, but the cars were never delivered.
At the trial, the defendants pleaded not guilty. They claimed that they had previously successfully supplied cars but at some point encountered debts and other problems, and that other individuals not involved in the investigation were also responsible for the disruption of the deals. The victims, in turn, stated that the damages inflicted on them have still not been compensated.
The Sumgayit Court for Serious Crimes ultimately upheld the charges. The judges concluded that the defendants’ defenses were self-defense.
By the court’s decision, Orkhan Shukurov and Tapdyg Garayev were sentenced to seven years in prison, and Beyler Akhmedzade to six years and six months. The latter was arrested in the courtroom.
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