BERLIN (AP) — About 250 law enforcement officials have raided two dozen properties throughout Germany linked to Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, an in depth ally of President Vladimir Putin, in reference to alleged breaches of sanctions and cash laundering guidelines, officers mentioned Wednesday.
Prosecutors in Frankfurt and Munich mentioned in separate statements that state and federal police have been looking the 24 properties in Bavaria, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein.
The assertion by Frankfurt prosecutors named the suspect solely as a Russian businessman. However German weekly Der Spiegel, which first reported the raids, named him as Usmanov.
Two officers concerned within the investigation, talking on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to take action publicly, confirmed his id to The Related Press.
Usmanov is topic to sanctions in the USA and the European Union.
Frankfurt prosecutors mentioned the suspect of their investigation is alleged to have carried out a number of transactions between 2017 and 2022 utilizing a posh community of offshore corporations to cover the origin of the funds, which amounted to tens of millions of euros.
“There’s a suspicion that the sums transferred resulted from crimes, particularly tax evasion,” prosecutors mentioned.
Munich prosecutors mentioned in an announcement assertion that their investigation centered on allegations of funds being made to safety corporations guarding the properties, in breach of sanctions guidelines.