Operation Destabilise disrupts multi-billion dollar money-laundernig networks

The two networks at the centre of the investigation, TGR and Smart Group, served as financial enablers for organised crime groups worldwide, facilitating activities linked to drug trafficking, ransomware attacks, and espionage.

The networks also enabled sanctions evasion, assisting Russian clients in illicitly bypassing financial restrictions to invest in the UK.

The investigation resulted in 84 arrests, the seizure of £20 million in cash and cryptocurrency, and the sanctioning of key individuals and businesses at the centre of the networks by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

💡 Firms should ensure sanctions screening controls and systems are robust to maintain compliance and effectively prevent facilitating financial crime.