The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), on Saturday, said that they have arrested three people including a “wealthy Russian businessman” on suspicion of money laundering. This comes amid the country’s crackdown on potential criminal activity by oligarchs. Meanwhile, Moscow’s embassy in London has reportedly demanded information on the arrests.
According to the NCA, more than 50 officers from its Combatting Kleptocracy Cell (CKC) were involved in the operation and arrested three men, from their “multi-million-pound residence” in London, on Thursday. The 58-year-old, “wealthy Russian businessman” has been arrested on suspicion of money laundering, conspiracy to commit perjury, and defrauding the Home Office.
Meanwhile, a 35-year-old man was arrested for obstructing an officer as he was about to leave with a bag containing large sums of money as well as on suspicion of money laundering. The third suspect, a 39-year-old who is said to be the ex-boyfriend of the businessman’s current partner, was detained at the residence on similar charges. However, the three individuals, whose details remain undisclosed by the NCA, are out on bail.
The NCA also recovered a number of digital devices as well as a significant amount of cash after they searched the property, said the crime agency. According to the NCA Director General, Graeme Biggar, the CKC, established earlier this year, is having “significant success” in its investigations of potential crimes by oligarchs including those who are supporting, enabling and linked to the Russian government.
“We will continue to use all the powers and tactics available to us to disrupt this threat,” said Biggar, in a statement. The NCA said they have conducted nearly 100 such “disruptions”, a term used to describe an action of removing or reducing a criminal threat, against Russian President Vladimir Putin-linked elites and their enablers.
The action taken by the NCA also included account freezing orders (AFOs) over accounts held by people closely linked to sanctioned Russians, said Britain’s crime agency. Notably, the UK has sanctioned over 1,000 people and more than 120 entities, in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Russian embassy in London asked Britain’s Foreign Office to give them details about the reasons and circumstances under which the three unidentified people were held as well as the conditions they were held under, said a report by Reuters citing Russian news agencies.
(With inputs from agencies)
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