December 4th 2024.
Ekaterina Zhdanova, a Russian-born woman who rose to power in Moscow, was at the helm of a massive criminal operation that has recently been taken down by an international sting. This operation, which was worth billions of dollars, was used by UK drug dealers to launder their money and conceal their illicit activities. The network was not only utilized by Russian-speaking hackers with vast amounts of cryptocurrency, but also by street gangs in Britain. Shockingly, it is believed that even an Irish cartel and the Russian government were involved in this scheme.
According to the National Crime Agency, the Russian state allegedly used the network to fund spies in other countries and transfer funds from the Kremlin's network RT to journalists in the UK. Additionally, Russian citizens who were under sanctions for their involvement in the war in Ukraine also took advantage of the network to disguise their cash and purchase property in Britain. This complex ring not only had ties to Russia, but also reached across more than 30 countries, including the United Arab Emirates.
The mastermind behind this operation, Ekaterina Zhdanova, has been arrested in France, while another key player, Georgy Rossi, is currently missing. Two other wanted individuals, Elena Chirkinyan and George Rossi, are believed to have profited millions by charging up to 3% for transactions worth billions. The NCA has made 84 arrests and seized £20 million within the UK as part of Operation Destabilise, which has been described as the agency's largest money-laundering investigation in the last decade.
The network was able to launder such large sums of money by routing it through the Middle East and using various criminal services, including Smart and TGR. Rob Jones, the NCA's director general of operations, stated that this operation has exposed a previously unknown link between Russian elites, cybercriminals with vast amounts of cryptocurrency, and drug gangs on the streets of the UK. He also emphasized the agency's success in identifying and disrupting the top-level individuals behind this illegal network.
Nik Adams, the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for economic crime, described this network as being "hidden in plain sight" and operating within communities to move large sums of money related to the drug trade and serious violence. The scheme was first uncovered with the arrest of Fawad Saiedi in London in November of 2021, who was found in possession of over £250,000 in cash. He was later sentenced to jail for his involvement in laundering more than £15 million, under the direction of Zhdanova and her associate Nikita Krasnov.
The network also employed two cash couriers in the UK who were responsible for laundering £12.3 million in just 74 days. One of these couriers, Igor Logvinov, was arrested by An Garda Siochana in Ireland and sentenced to three years in jail. The NCA worked closely with law enforcement agencies in the US, Ireland, Jersey, and France to bring down this complex network.
To further dismantle this operation, the US has imposed sanctions on individuals believed to be involved in running the network, including Zhdanova's associates Khadzi-Murat Dalgatovich Magomedov and Nikita Vladimirovich Krasnov. This operation has been described as a major success in disrupting a multi-billion dollar money laundering network and exposing the ties between Russian elites, cybercriminals, and street gangs in the UK.
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