Moscow Opens First Criminal Case Under New Law on Illegal Transfer of Subscriber Numbers

Overview

• Russia’s Interior Ministry said a Moscow police investigator initiated the case under article 274.4 on organizing the transfer of subscriber numbers in violation of the law.
• Officials stated a resident of Khimki allegedly used forged powers of attorney to sign telecom service contracts at mobile operator offices on behalf of various companies.
• According to the ministry, the acquired numbers were handed to third parties, with a promised payment of 9,000 rubles per successfully arranged contract.
• The suspect was detained by the Interior Ministry’s economic security unit under the supervision of the Investigative Department and Moscow’s Main Investigative Directorate.
• Police seized smartphones, SIM cards, and documents during a search, and investigators are working to identify accomplices and additional episodes.