Russian law enforcement agencies say they have broken up a laundering network that used cryptocurrency exchange offices in Moscow City to move funds obtained through fraud. The operation, carried out by the Federal Security Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, targeted what officials described as nine foreign-coordinated crypto channels.
According to the authorities, more than 20 employees of unregistered exchange offices were detained along with several couriers. Investigators allege the network helped transfer money stolen from Russian citizens by Ukrainian call centers and then sent those funds abroad through cryptocurrency transactions.
Detentions in Moscow City
The case centers on the Moscow City business district, where investigators say unregistered crypto exchange offices were operating as part of the scheme. Russian authorities described the offices as a key link in a broader cross-border laundering structure.
Officials said the raid disrupted nine channels used to process and move the proceeds of fraud. The people detained included exchange office staff and couriers allegedly involved in handling or transporting funds tied to the operation.
How the alleged scheme worked
According to the official account, the network was connected to Ukrainian call centers that targeted Russian citizens through phone and online scams. Investigators said victims were kept in regular contact with fraudsters and guided through transactions step by step, often without understanding the real purpose of the payments.
Authorities said some of those targeted were retirees and other vulnerable people. Victims were allegedly instructed to go to exchange offices in Moscow City, purchase cryptocurrency there, and have it transferred immediately to accounts controlled by organizers in Ukraine.
Role of exchange offices and couriers
Investigators claim the unregistered exchange points served as the operational bridge between the fraud victims and the organizers behind the scheme. In the authorities’ version of events, these offices converted funds into cryptocurrency and enabled the money to be sent out of Russia.
The statement also said the network relied on young operatives recruited from different Russian regions. Several couriers were detained alongside exchange office employees, and both groups are being treated as participants in the alleged fraud operation.
Criminal cases and next steps
Investigative units of the Interior Ministry have opened criminal proceedings under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code, which covers large-scale fraud committed by an organized group. Authorities said the exchange office employees and couriers have been charged with complicity.
If convicted, the suspects could face prison terms of up to 10 years. Investigators said they are now working to identify additional victims, determine the overall financial damage, collect more evidence, and examine possible ways to recover funds for those affected.
Source: news.bitcoin.com