In city of Kyiv, the SBU exposed an organized group of Syrians. The offenders conducted illegal currency transfers.

Transactions were carried out avoiding banks, within the so-called “hawala” system. The perpetrators acted in the interests of international terrorist groups.

During the searches in Kyiv and Odesa regions, law enforcement officers seized:

• over UAH 3.9 m. (140,000) in cash;
• bank cards used for illegal transactions;
• “Black accounting” and other evidence of illegal activity.

The operatives established that via the system the offenders conducted financial transactions in the interests of the terrorist groups. The system operates avoiding financial monitoring and contrary to the Ukrainian legislation.

Currently in Kyiv, the organizer of the scheme has been served a notice of suspicion of money laundering and financing of terrorism.

The operation was conducted jointly with Pechersk Police Department, under supervision of Kyiv Local Prosecutor's Office No. 6.

The investigation is ongoing.

Note:

“Hawala” – is a non-bank currency transfer system, built on a contractual basis, which is extremely popular and is actively used in the Middle East.

This system of money transfers is actively used by members of terrorist and other criminal groups in the money laundering.