BISHKEK, (Kyrgyzstan): A renowned investigative journalist in ex-Soviet Kyrgyzstan has been charged with possession of narcotics, police said Sunday, days after he released an investigation into the fuel business of a powerful political family. Bolot Temirov, whose YouTube channel Temirov Live is known for its hard-hitting anti-corruption investigations, was taken into custody Saturday night after police raided the media outlet’s office.

Around 200 supporters of Temirov including fellow journalists gathered outside the interior ministry on Sunday, with some calling for the minister’s resignation.

In a statement Sunday, police in the Central Asian country’s capital Bishkek said Temirov and his colleague Bolot Nazarov had been arrested on a charge of “possessing illegal narcotics”.