Britain banks laundered huge amounts from Russia

Several largest British banks are involved in the international scheme for laundering money from Russia. The bank could be involved in the scheme, whose council included the cousin of President Putin, reports Guardian.

Almost $ 740 million from the funds laundered by Russian attackers with ties in the government and the FSB under the large -scale international scheme under the code name “The Global Laundromat” passed through the largest British banks. On Monday, March 20, reported by the London newspaper The Guardian with reference to the data received by the International Organization of Journalists (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project -OCCRP) New Gazeta and Süddeutsche Zeitung.

According to publications, 17 banks based in Britain, including HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds and Barclays, came into view of the justice field. They all have to explain that they knew about this criminal scheme and why they did not reject suspicious money transfers.

According to documents that were at the disposal of Guardian, at least $ 20 billion was withdrawn from Russia from 2010 to 2014, but the real amount may amount to $ 80 billion. The investigation believes that about 500 people were involved in the scheme, including oligarchs, Moscow bankers and faces with ties in the FSB. The council of one of the Moscow banks, allegedly involved in the scandal, included Igor Putin , a cousin of Russian president. He refused to comment.

The data that Guardian refers is obviously obtained as part of a three -year investigation conducted by the police of Latvia and Moldova. Large amounts under the guise of execution of decisions taken by Moldovan courts were taken to Moldova, and from there to Latvia and then to other EU countries, including the UK.

Moldavian representatives complained that the investigation is inhibited by the FSB officers. According to them, part of the washed funds was used to attempt to bribe Moldovan parliamentarians, and part - to promote Russian state interests.

According to the German Süddeutsche Zeitung, 60 journalists from 32 countries who also worked on the study of “Panaman dossiers” who helped to reveal the secret accounts of many well -known politicians, businessmen, athletes, etc. participated in the OCCRP international investigation of the OCCRP.