A 58-year-old Russian businessman has been arrested at his luxury London home on suspicion of money laundering as part of authorities’ ongoing investigation into the activities of Russian oligarchs in the British capital.
The detainee could be Mikhail Fridman, according to Russian news agency TASS. «Friedman was detained by the police, but according to our information he has been released on bail,» TASS’ source explained, not confirming the reason for the arrest.
The detainee has also been charged with conspiracy to commit perjury and conspiracy to defraud the Interior Ministry, according to a statement from the National Anti-Crime Agency (CAN) picked up by Sky News on Saturday.
The Russian tycoon has not been publicly identified by name, nor have two other men who have been arrested in the same operation. TASS reports citing own sources that there is another person detained with «a certain amount of cash.»
One of the detainees, a 35-year-old alleged employee of the billionaire, was seen leaving the building with thousands of pounds in a suitcase, according to British media.
The third individual was arrested in the London borough of Pimlico, also for money laundering and conspiracy to commit fraud. «All three defendants were questioned and later released on bail,» the agency has made known in a statement.
«The cell also investigated and took discreet action against a significant number of elites directly impacting the UK, as well as targeting less conventional routes used to disguise significant wealth movements, such as the sale of high-value assets through auction houses,» the statement said.
«Internationally, CAN’s work has helped freeze numerous properties, eight yachts and four aircraft, and it continues to work closely with the Financial Sanctions Implementation Office to ensure that other assets are frozen in the UK, as well as with global partners to target illicit wealth overseas,» the agency concluded.
The Russian Embassy in London has demanded that the British authorities immediately notify the reasons and circumstances of the Russian businessman’s arrest, according to a statement carried by the Russian TASS agency.
