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Authorities in Russia, Georgia, and Thailand have arrested multiple Russian nationals in what appears to be a coordinated crackdown on crypto laundering operations, with schemes ranging from stolen bank card fraud to AI-powered narcotics distribution networks.
Russian investigators detained four Surgut residents Thursday accused of moving approximately $1 million through compromised bank accounts before converting the funds to cryptocurrency, while parallel cases in Tbilisi and Bangkok suggest a broader pattern of Russian nationals operating cross-border digital asset laundering schemes.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that four individuals from Surgut were taken into custody on Thursday for allegedly channeling illicit money through a system built on stolen or purchased bank accounts.
The scheme, investigators say, relied on intermediaries paid to surrender their active bank cards — individuals commonly referred to as “droppers.”
According to Irina Volk, the ministry’s official representative, the group routed nearly 100 million rubles through these accounts before converting the funds into digital assets.
“The illegally acquired funds were funneled into bank accounts purchased from citizens and then converted into digital currency,” — Irina Volk, Ministry of Internal Affairs.
She added that the suspects charged between 3% and 15% in commission for these services, a structure consistent with other crypto money laundering operations uncovered this year.
Authorities stated that the group ultimately sent the digital assets to so-called “curators,” though no names were disclosed. One cryptocurrency exchange, whose identity was withheld, reported that turnover connected to the group exceeded 94 million rubles.
Investigators emphasized that the purchased bank cards were also used in remote theft schemes, including unauthorized withdrawals and digital fraud — another hallmark of crypto money laundering setups in the region.
A criminal case has been opened under Article 187, Part 5, of the Russian Criminal Code, which covers the trafficking of payment instruments.
Russian cybersecurity specialists have repeatedly warned about emerging hybrid attacks targeting crypto holders — attacks that combine digital intrusion with physical intimidation.
Security professionals interviewed by Business Petersburg said victims are increasingly pressured to reveal private keys, seed phrases, and personal information as criminal actors refine crypto money laundering strategies.
Alexander Gostev, chief technology expert at Kaspersky Lab, described an evolving threat landscape.
“Hackers are compiling detailed dossiers on digital asset owners using information leaked from online verification platforms and social media,” — Alexander Gostev, Kaspersky Lab.
These hybrid threats show that crypto money laundering rings are expanding beyond digital anonymity tools and now exploiting personal data and physical coercion. The trend underscores a rising risk for both retail crypto users and institutional stakeholders.
In October, Georgian authorities captured five Russian nationals accused of running an unlicensed digital asset service and laundering funds through unauthorized financial channels — a parallel example of regional crypto money laundering patterns.
According to the Georgian Finance Ministry, the suspects conducted hundreds of millions of lari in virtual asset transactions while operating from an unregistered office and using courier networks without regulatory approval.
In Bangkok, police detained two Russian nationals accused of building a “ghost-like” narcotics distribution network that relied on artificial intelligence, QR-code advertising, and crypto payments. The arrests followed a month-long multi-agency investigation by the Metropolitan Police Bureau and Thailand’s Narcotics Suppression Centre.
Police said scans of the QR codes posted across the city directed users to a Telegram channel advertising multiple drugs. The payment methods suggested integration with a wider crypto money laundering infrastructure used to obscure financial trails behind the AI-driven narcotics operation.
Authorities emphasize that the Thailand arrests, together with detentions in Russia and Georgia, reflect a growing global convergence between drug markets, cybercrime, and crypto money laundering, pushing regulators and law enforcement to tighten oversight.
