Russian police detained a criminal group which had engaged in illegal banking operations

MOSCOW. April 3. KAZINFORM Agents of the Economic Security Department (DEB) of the Russian Interior Ministry, together with the Federal Security Service (FSB) detained a criminal group which had engaged in illegal banking operations to expatriate funds.

"In the period from January 2007 to September 2008 alone, the criminal group derived a profit worth over nine billion roubles," the DEB press service told Itar-Tass on Friday. "It has been ascertained that the administration of a well-known commercial bank had engaged in illegal banking activity for an extended period of time; it derived huge profits and legalized this money through a consulting firm," the DEB said. "A significant portion of illegal money was remitted to foreign organizations' accounts at foreign banks under fictitious grounds. It was cashed for use in further criminal activity," a DEB officer said. "Police found documents of 40 dummy firms, seals of more than 30 foreign companies that were used in illegal money expatriation schemes. They also found seals and stamps of Russian customs bodies, stamped letterheads of fly-by-night firms that were used to forge customs control documents and more than 20 computers with passwords to organizations' account through the Bank-Client system," police said. In addition, authorities found undeclared cash funds worth over 25 million roubles, 130,000 euros and 10,000 dollars. The masterminds have been detained. A criminal case has been opened under Article 172, Part 2 (illegal banking), and Article 174, Part 4 (money laundering). "Police are taking measures to establish the identity of and apprehend other members of the criminal group," the DEB noted, Kazinform refers to ITAR-TASS.