Collapsed: a large network of illegal cash withdrawal has been eliminated

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia announced the liquidation of one of the largest platforms for the illegal cashing of funds in the Volga region. The security forces seized about 6 million rubles, but, according to experts, this is only the daily revenue of the shadow business. Why illegal bankers are fleeing the capitals and what threatens those who use their services — in the material of Izvestia.

Ulyanovsk scheme: timber, furniture and fictitious contracts

Employees of the Department of Economic Security and Anti-Corruption of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Ulyanovsk region stopped the activities of an organized group specializing in illegal banking activities. According to Irina Volk, the official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, two residents of the region have developed a criminal scheme for cashing out funds, integrating it into legal business processes.

"To implement their plan, the attackers formed a number of legal organizations related to logging, the purchase and sale of building materials, as well as the manufacture of furniture. They conducted financial and economic activities. However, the contracts were concluded with a significantly increased volume of declared works or goods planned for shipment, usually by 30-40%. After making several transactions, the defendants withdrew funds into cash," Volk quotes the official message of the department.

The five accomplices served as company executives, accountants, and lawyers. The suspects received 11-12% commission for their services. According to preliminary estimates, in this way the accomplices cashed out about 190 million rubles.

Six million has been withdrawn, but this is only a "daily cash register"

During more than 20 searches in the Ulyanovsk region, police seized about 6 million rubles, seals, computer equipment and various documents. All suspects have been detained. Five of the defendants are under house arrest, and a preventive measure has been imposed on two of them in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.

At the same time, according to Izvestia's interlocutors familiar with the situation, the amount withdrawn looks modest against the background of the stated turnover of 190 million rubles. Most likely, this is just the daily money supply of the site, which did not have time to leave for customers or was prepared for delivery at the time of the security forces' visit. According to the Interior Ministry, the liquidated "cash platform" was one of the largest in the Volga Federal District.

The investigative authorities have opened a criminal case on the grounds of crimes provided for in Articles 172 and 187 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The events were held with the participation of the Russian Guard.

Why is the "cash" leaving the capitals

The fact that a large site was discovered not in Moscow, but in the Ulyanovsk region is not an accident, but a steady trend over the past two years. As Sergey Zhuravlev, an expert on banking security, explained to Izvestia, illegal bankers are forced to leave for the regions due to the increased control of the security forces and the regulator.

— In the capital, the risk of losing business and getting a criminal case has become prohibitive. Firstly, the fight against drops has become seriously tougher — people are afraid to rent out cards, because they are now really imprisoned for it. Secondly, banks have learned how to instantly block suspicious transactions on individuals' cards. Thirdly, there is a systematic purge of one-day firms: the tax service and banks see that the company does not conduct real business, and block accounts almost immediately," explains Zhuravlev.

According to him, in regions where the concentration of law enforcement officers is slightly lower, and local businesses still need "black cash" for gray schemes, cashiers feel more at ease. However, as the Ulyanovsk case shows, this freedom turns out to be illusory: federal databases and interregional information exchange are working more efficiently.

Responsibility is inevitable

Users of the services of "cash platforms" — entrepreneurs who thus evade taxes or hide income — should also not rely on security. Lawyer Ekaterina Krasnova, in a comment to Izvestia, recalled that responsibility for such actions lies not only with the organizers of the schemes.

— Participation in illegal banking activities and illegal circulation of payment funds is not an administrative fine, but a criminal offense. 172 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation provides for punishment for organizers up to seven years in prison. However, clients of such platforms who transfer money under fictitious contracts also run the risk of becoming involved in cases of tax evasion or income legalization. In addition, responsibility for transferring bank cards to third parties has recently been tightened — up to six years in prison are now threatened for so-called fraud. In this sense, the law is proactive: the temptation of easy money should not outweigh the understanding of the consequences," Krasnova stressed.

What's next

The operation in the Ulyanovsk region is just one link in the chain. As previously reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, similar sites have already been covered in Moscow, Novosibirsk and other regions.

The trend is obvious: "cash" can no longer exist peacefully in the shadow of megacities. He migrates, but everywhere he encounters increased control. For businesses, this means one thing: the time for "gray" schemes and cash "out of nowhere" is running out. And the cost of an error is no longer measured by a 12% commission, but by actual deadlines.