Russian rapper Navai was arrested in Kazakhstan in connection with a drug smuggling case

The Korday District Court in the Zhambyl Region of Kazakhstan ordered a two-month pretrial detention for Russian rapper Navai Bakirov (who performs under the stage name Navai).

Police officers and border guards detained the artist on October 13, 2026, at the “Korday” border crossing while he was entering Kazakhstan from Kyrgyzstan. A search of the artist’s vehicle revealed and seized a narcotic substance—according to media reports, 2.5 grams of cannabis. Law enforcement agencies are currently conducting a pretrial investigation under charges of smuggling and illegal possession of narcotics.

The rapper’s concert in Astana, scheduled for October 14, was canceled with the official explanation “for technical reasons.”

Source: Tengri News.

Lyubov Rozhanska, a Ukrainian woman who was detained in Kazakhstan at Russia’s request, has been released from a detention center in Astana. She has already left the country and traveled to Odesa.