Seven arrested for international extortion
The criminal group fraudulently appropriated and laundered sums of €9,490,991, $716,642 and £218,000. Photo: Screenshot from video.
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The Georgian law enforcement agencies, in cooperation with Germany, have arrested seven members of an international criminal group in Georgia which ‘fraudulently embezzled millions of euros from German citizens and laundering of illegal income.’
Beginning in 2015, a group of Georgian and Israeli citizens established six limited liability companies, for which a phoney call centre was organised which targeted citizens of various European countries.
Dozens of e-commerce platforms were set up for the so-called call centre to operate fraudulently, which allowed the fraudulent extraction of funds from the user into the bank accounts of members of the criminal group,” The Chief Prosecutor's Office of Georgia stated.
Call centre employees would contact the citizens of various European countries, introducing themselves with fictitious names and providing false information about the location of their company.
[Call centre employees] offered to participate in e-commerce of securities, stocks, commodity assets, currencies and cryptocurrencies using electronic platforms created by the criminal group,” the Georgian Prosecutor's office reported.
The criminal group fraudulently appropriated and laundered sums of €9,490,991, $716,642 and £218,000.
Six individuals were charged with fraud and money laundering, which is punishable by nine to 12 years in prison, while one member of the criminal group was arrested for the purpose of extradition.
A briefing on the case was held earlier today at the Prosecutor's Office with the participation of the Deputy Ambassador of Germany.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has said that the former official of the United National Movement (UNM), David Kezerashvili, allegedly stands behind the fraudulent call centres. Garibashvili claims that Kezerashvili, who held the position of the minister of defense of Georgia under the UNM government, supposedly organised a criminal investment network operating as call centres.
The Head of the State Security Service of Georgia, Grigol Liluashvili, has filed a lawsuit against Mtavari Arkhi and Formula TV channels after the media outlets aired reports alleging links between him and the criminal case dating back to October and relating to fraudulent operations set up by a group of Georgian and Israeli citizens in Georgia.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has instructed Minister of Finance Lasha Khutsishvili to investigate activities of call centres in the country, following a lawsuit stemming from allegations related to an October case of fraudulent operations set up by a group of Georgian and Israeli citizens in Georgia.
Five individuals have been arrested, with wider proceedings launched against a group of 17 persons, by the Prosecutor's Office and interior ministry for extortion of tens of millions of GEL from foreign citizens and money laundering.
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