The Georgian Prosecutor's Office announced the arrest of seven people: apparently, they were members of a criminal group that operated international fraudulent call centers and laundered large sums obtained by criminal means.
According to the investigation, the organized crime group established companies and call centers throughout Georgia, and the suspects created electronic trading platforms to promote their activities. To build trust, they used various brands, luring victims with lucrative deals.
In this way, they appear to have embezzled "several million Swiss francs belonging to citizens of the Swiss Confederation," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
To make it easier to launder money obtained by criminal means, the suspects transferred it to their bank accounts, and then invested in real estate.
During the investigation, which was supported by Eurojust and Swiss law enforcement agencies, security forces in Georgia searched call centers, homes, workplaces and cars of dozens of people involved in the case. In a statement, the prosecutor's office said that law enforcement officers seized hundreds of electronic devices and documents, as well as cash.
The suspects 'property and real estate worth up to five million Georgian lari ($1.87 million) were also confiscated in order to" deprive them of the opportunity to dispose of assets or hide them in the future."
If the suspects are found guilty of fraud and money laundering, they may face imprisonment for a term of 9 to 12 years, the prosecutor's office said.
In the period from 2021 to 2024, the Georgian authorities, together with their European counterparts, filed charges of fraud and money laundering against 72 suspects and three legal entities, which indicates the growing scale of international cooperation in the fight against such crimes.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, the activities of fraudulent call centers in many countries are actively investigated in cooperation with international partners. The goal is to identify and expose more individuals or entities involved in such international crimes.
• Video:
• Video:
According to the investigation, the organized crime group established companies and call centers throughout Georgia, and the suspects created electronic trading platforms to promote their activities. To build trust, they used various brands, luring victims with lucrative deals.
In this way, they appear to have embezzled "several million Swiss francs belonging to citizens of the Swiss Confederation," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
To make it easier to launder money obtained by criminal means, the suspects transferred it to their bank accounts, and then invested in real estate.
During the investigation, which was supported by Eurojust and Swiss law enforcement agencies, security forces in Georgia searched call centers, homes, workplaces and cars of dozens of people involved in the case. In a statement, the prosecutor's office said that law enforcement officers seized hundreds of electronic devices and documents, as well as cash.
The suspects 'property and real estate worth up to five million Georgian lari ($1.87 million) were also confiscated in order to" deprive them of the opportunity to dispose of assets or hide them in the future."
If the suspects are found guilty of fraud and money laundering, they may face imprisonment for a term of 9 to 12 years, the prosecutor's office said.
In the period from 2021 to 2024, the Georgian authorities, together with their European counterparts, filed charges of fraud and money laundering against 72 suspects and three legal entities, which indicates the growing scale of international cooperation in the fight against such crimes.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, the activities of fraudulent call centers in many countries are actively investigated in cooperation with international partners. The goal is to identify and expose more individuals or entities involved in such international crimes.
• Video:
• Video:
