12:05, 25 November 2013

MIA: underground bankers, who exported money of illegal migrants from Caucasus and Central Asia out of Russia, detained in Moscow

Horticultural trading facility. Photo: http://www.mos.ru/

According to the Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) seven citizens of Russia, Uzbekistan and Georgia, suspected of creating a criminal association, engaged in illegal banking activities, were detained in Moscow. According to investigators, they organized a channel of exporting out of Russia the funds belonging to illegal migrants from Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Abkhazia; the funds were also used to support terrorists.

According to the police, more than 1.5 billion roubles were illegally exported out of the country every month.

The detainees were charged with illegal banking activities and organizing a criminal grouping and were arrested. According to investigators, the grouping consisted of more than 40 active participants.

According to law enforcers, the above channel was set up in the interests of illegal migrants, who were engaged in shadow commercial activities in major Russian trading platforms.

A statement posted on the website of the MIA reports: "Facts have been documented of using the channel to finance the international terrorist organization 'Hizbut-Tahrir al-Islami'."