"In the Almaty region, more than 20 persons were arrested, from whom 40 weapons were seized," the department said in a statement published on Telegram.
According to the police, seized weaponry contains 25 Makarov pistols, five Kalashnikov assault rifles, rifles and sawed-off shotguns. In addition, 500 rounds of various calibers were seized.
A wave of protests swept across Kazakhstan earlier this week, following a sharp rise in gas prices. Despite the government's attempts to quell the discontent and promises to bring the prices down, protests turned violent and descended into clashes with law enforcement officers in several regions.
The government declared a state of emergency until 19 January. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev asked for the Collective Security Treaty Organization's (CSTO) assistance, which was granted. CSTO peacekeepers were sent to Kazakhstan.
The Kazakh president said Friday that there were still militants who continued resistance and pledged to fight those who do not lay down the arms. At the same time, Tokayev has said that the government had reached a compromise with peaceful protesters on urgent social and economic issues.