Another commenter mentioned that due to recent rising gas prices, it's become very profitable for smugglers to transport LPG across the border to Kyrgyzstan and

Another commenter mentioned that due to recent rising gas prices, it's become very profitable for smugglers to transport LPG across the border to Kyrgyzstan and China, selling for up to 3x the price (buy at subsidized Kazakh prices, sell at market rate). This black market is so profitable for the usually low-income Kazakhs, that organized crime has sprung up around it (a la Al Capone). The government decreased the subsidies due to this discrepancy, and organized crime around Almaty is the one encouraging and enflaming the protests to ensure their profitable smuggling.