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Police detain participants in group involved in illegal banking

MOSCOW, November 25. /ITAR-TASS/. The police and the intelligence service carried out a special mission to detain seven participants in a major criminal group involved in illegal banking operations. This was reported by the Interior Ministry’s press service on Monday.

“Seven leaders of a criminal group have been detained during the mission,” the press service said. “They were charged with illegal banking activities and organization of a criminal group, they are remanded in custody.”

The detained are citizens of Russia, Uzbekistan and Georgia.

The participants in the criminal group organised an illegal channel to export from the Russian Federation monetary funds in the interests of Middle Asia’s citizens, staying in Russia illegally. Those persons had been involved in shadow commercial activities at major Moscow market places and in other Russian regions.

The police report they have proofs the channel has been used to finance the Hizb ut-Tahrir international terrorist organisation.

The detained received money from illegal commercial activities of foreign citizens, mainly from Middle Asia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Abkhazia. Following instructions from clients, the money was transferred to accounts of companies controlled by the criminal community, to be further transferred abroad. They used nominal and off-shore companies for the transactions. The police report about over 120 faked companies.

“Besides the organisers, the group had over 40 active participants, who followed strictly their responsibilities. The investigative division of Russia’s Interior Ministry has opened a criminal case on charges of illegal banking activities,” the press service said.

With the support of the Alfa special mission forces, the police organised in the Moscow and Perm regions over 187 searches, where they confiscated documents, seals, computers, electronic keys for remote access to corporate accounts, banking cards and over 178 million rubles cash. The investigation is underway.

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