Global Crime Networks Launder Billions Through Cryptocurrency in Historic Bust

Operation Destabilise dismantles Russian-led money laundering systems spanning 30 countries, exposing links to cybercrime, drug cartels, and espionage.

Two interconnected networks, Smart Group and TGR Group, allegedly laundered billions for Russian elites, cybercriminals, and drug cartels, operating across 30 countries.
The networks used cryptocurrency to obscure the origins of illicit funds, facilitating sanctions evasion, property purchases, and funding for Russian espionage operations.
Authorities arrested 84 individuals, including key figures Ekaterina Zhdanova and associates, seizing £20 million in cash and cryptocurrency as part of the international crackdown.
The Smart network reportedly laundered ransomware payments and funds linked to organized crime, while TGR focused on integrating illicit money into legitimate financial systems.
The investigation revealed ties to South American drug cartels, the Kinahan crime family, and Russian state-controlled entities, marking the largest money laundering operation tackled by the UK's National Crime Agency in a decade.