Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Russian Officials Seize $185 Million From Bribe-Taking FSB Officer

That's a lot of currency.

From the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, May 21:
Russian media published on Friday a video showing bags of cash and claimed it was shot as Russian Government officials seized 12 billion rubles (US$185 million) from the apartment of former FSB official Colonel Kirill Cherkalin.

Cherkalin has been detained for the past three weeks “on suspicion of fraud on a large scale,” and was charged last week with taking US$850,000 in bribes, using his position as the head of the FSB’s financial counterintelligence unit to reap financial reward.

The cash-stuffed bags would make Cherkalin the richest law enforcement agent to be investigated for corruption.

The former record was held by Dmitry Zakharchenko, the deputy head of the Ministry of the Interior’s anti-corruption and economic security office, who was found with $120 million in Euros and USD in 2016.

The Baza Telegram channel posted pictures of Cherkalin’s estate and several of his sport vehicles on Monday.

The secretive department Cherkalin headed assisted in the high-profile investigations of economy minister Alexei Ulyukayev, minister Mikhail Abyzov, and billionaire brothers Ziyavudin and Magomed Magomedov.... 
....MORE

I like the fact there's a Russian leaderboard for largest amounts seized.
Still far from a world record however. As we noted in 2017's "What To Do With Your Cash?":

First off, don't be this guy:

Alleged meth kingpin Zhenli Ye Gon remains in custody in the US fighting extradition to Mexico.
That's Zhenli Ye Gon
I repeat, do not be him. More after the jump.....
***
...Back to Mr. Ye Gon. He had a problem that may be familiar to our readers. He liked having some mad money available and kept it at home. But like the cat lady who starts out with three and is then quoted as the hazmat team shows up, "It kinda got away from me".

Zhenli had cash in cabinets:


https://www.veteranstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/EOO2Ijy-480x640.jpg


He had cash in closets:
https://www.veteranstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/jhhigsQ-377x640.jpg

He had so much cash it was a fire hazard:

https://vz.cnwimg.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/cash2.jpg

The Mexican government took it away.
$207 million in currency.

Don't be Zhenli.

Addendum May 2019:
In addition to the two tonnes of C-notes Mr. Ye Gon kept more in the petty cash drawer:
  • 18 million Mexican pesos
  • 200,000 euros
  • 113,000 Hong Kong dollars
Don't be Zhenli.