Elimination of the Swiss Remit crypto laundry: how ex-banker Salpanov and drug lord Simon laundered millions

The Zurich prosecutor’s office, in cooperation with the US DEA, Europol and the Nigerian police, carried out one of the largest operations to combat money laundering from Russia and the Nigerian drug mafia.

Billionaire and Nigeria’s largest drug lord Amadi Simon, as well as ex-member of the board of «bank Anelik RU» Sergei Salpanov, were taken into custody. According to our information, the former owner of the Nikolaev Oil Refinery, Roman Trushev, was detained as part of the investigation. Money laundering was carried out through the Swiss Remit payment system, which it connects with banker German Gorbuntsov. Now the Swiss Remit website has been confiscated by the Zurich prosecutor’s office.   

According to the prosecutor’s office, the attackers created a system through which tens of millions of dollars were laundered over several years. This was money from Russia, as well as received as a result of fraud and drug trafficking. To legalize funds, a complex transfer system was used, using cryptocurrencies and fictitious documents. The prosecutor’s office did not name the names of those detained in the case.

However, they became known to our project. As part of the investigation, a Russian with Hungarian and Romanian passports was arrested (the latter turned out to be fake) Sergei Salpanov. In Russia, he was a member of the board of the bank «Anelik Ru» (payment system), which came under Ukrainian sanctions in 2016 and was liquidated in 2019. According to our information, Roman Trushchev –, the ex-owner of the Nikolaev Oil Refinery and the Petroneft holding, was detained as part of the operation. He is wanted by Russia in the case of contamination of the «Friendship» oil pipeline. According to the source, Trushev maintained close relations with the owners of Swiss Remit and at the time of the police operation was supposed to become a co-owner of the payment system. Trushev was later released.

Nigerian billionaire Amadi Simon has also been arrested. At home, he is known as the country’s largest drug lord. The Zurich prosecutor’s office believes that, among other things, funds from Simon’s drug business were laundered through Swiss Remit.

Previously, Swiss Remit was associated with banker German Gorbuntsov.