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Police bust large counterfeit cash ring in southern Russia

Police also found out that the criminal group had enough capacities to make more than 20 million counterfeit roubles ever month

MOSCOW, October 24 (Itar-Tass) —— Police have destroyed a widespread counterfeit cash ring in southern Russia, arresting 11 ringleaders and active members.

“Eleven leaders and active members of an inter-regional ethnic organised criminal group have been arrested on suspicions of making and circulating counterfeit Bank of Russia banknotes and U.S. dollars. A criminal case has been opened under Article 186, part 3, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Production, Keeping, Transportation or Uttering of Counterfeit Money Committed by an Organised Group),” the press service of the Russian Interior Ministry’s Main Department for Combating Economic Crimes and Corruption said on Monday, October 24.

It said police had started investigating the group’s activities in January 2011 in Dagestan and obtained information about its structure, organisers and active members, possible places where money was counterfeited, schemes used for uttering false banknotes, and corruption ties in various governmental bodies.

Police also found out that the criminal group had enough capacities to make more than 20 million counterfeit roubles ever month. Counterfeit banknotes were circulated in different Russian regions, including Moscow, Astrakhan, Belgorod, and Krasnodar regions, as well as in Dagestan. A part of the earnings was used to sponsor extremist groups in the North Caucasus.

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