Detectives of the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine jointly with cyber specialists of the Security Service of Ukraine exposed individuals and legal entities that organized a shadow money transfer scheme through Russian payment systems banned in Ukraine, the so-called Yumoney and Webmoney.
According to the BES, these individuals ensured the operation of both underground exchange points and online exchangers through which they conducted transactions of cryptocurrencies, electronic money, and the Russian ruble.
The exchange transactions were carried out without being reflected in accounting and tax records, using forged transfer documents, payment cards, etc.
The money was legalized in the interests of the aggressor country’s special services, representatives of the “hacker community”, as well as customers from the high-risk segment.
Law enforcement officers conducted searches at the residences of the owners of the exchange platforms in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Rivne and Sumy.
The BES employees identified and documented the withdrawal of Russian currency through the mentioned exchange offices.
As a result of 22 searches, the SSU found and seized funds in US dollars, euros, Polish zlotys, pounds sterling, Swiss francs, etc., which in total equals almost UAH 60 million.
Also seized were technical means on which transactions and conversion of electronic money, cryptocurrency and the Russian ruble were recorded.
At present, one of the defendants was served a notice of suspicion of committing a crime under Part 1 of Art. 200 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal actions with transfer documents, payment cards and other means of access to bank accounts, electronic money, equipment for their production), and evidence of involvement in the above-mentioned illegal activities has been documented in respect of two other persons, and a motion to serve them a notice of suspicion is being prepared.
The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings is carried out by the BES detectives with the operational support of the SSU officers under the procedural supervision of the prosecutors of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine.
