A “cryptocurrency conversion center,” or illegal cryptocurrency exchange, with a “turnover of hundreds of millions of hryvnias” has been discovered by Ukraine’s new economic intelligence unit.
According to a report from LB.ua, the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine (BEB) claimed that its officers had “exposed a large-scale international money-laundering scheme” using cryptocurrencies.
The BEB was established toward the end of 2022 with the goal of shutting down illegal cryptocurrency organizations, particularly those associated with suspected money laundering.
Additionally, the unit stated that the center had been orchestrated by a “group of people” to “transfer funds illegally” between Ukrainian cities and the European Union. The unit claimed that the center had also allowed customers to buy cryptoassets and illegally exchanged fiat and cryptocurrency.
Photos from the raid were published by BEB investigators. In addition, one image featured a policeman standing in a room filled with USD and UAH banknotes. In the same image, a machine for counting banknotes is also visible.