Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on Monday said that it had busted and disrupted an international network of call centers engaged in mass fraud committed against the citizens of various countries, including India.
According to a statement issued here, the "illegal activities were carried on in the interests" of D. Kazerashvili, the ex-Defense Minister of Georgia and owner of the Milton Group, who was said by Moscow to be "currently hiding" in London.
"The call centers were part of an international organised crime group that, under the guise of investment transactions, committed mass fraud against citizens of the EU, Great Britain, Canada, Brazil, India, Japan, etc. Around 100,000 people living in more than 50 countries became victims of their illegal activities. Income from illegal activities reached $1 million per day," according to a statement issued by the FSB, a federal executive body whose activities are overseen by none other than Russian President Vladimir Putin himself.
The agency is entrusted with the authority to realize the policy of the Russian Government in areas of national security, counter-terrorism, defense of the state border, protection of internal sea waters, territorial sea, exclusive economic zone, continental shelf and their natural resources, as well as with coordination of the counter-intelligence efforts of the federal executive bodies.
The FSB statement noted that, as a result of operational investigative activities, the heads of the call centers operating in Russia have also been identified, including a citizen of Israel and Ukraine, Keselman Ya.D. (detained) and a citizen of Israel and Georgia, Todva D. (wanted), who in 2022, on instructions from the SBU, organized the distribution of anonymous messages about terrorist attacks being prepared at critical infrastructure facilities in Moscow, Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod.
As part of the criminal case initiated by the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia, law enforcement officers detained eleven managers and employees of Russian offices of call centers under Article 210 (Organization of a criminal community), Part 4 of Article 159 (Fraud on an especially large scale), Part 3 of Article 207 (Knowingly false report of an act of terrorism) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.". Operational search activities and investigative actions continue it added.
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