Gang Jailed for £6.6m Money Laundering Scheme Exploiting Ukraine War

Two members of a criminal gang have been sentenced to a total of 13 years in prison after laundering millions of pounds by taking advantage of the war in Ukraine, a court has heard.

The group channelled illicit funds into the purchase of vans and lorries across the UK, which were then sold to Ukraine to meet the high wartime demand for vehicles. The profits were subsequently converted into cryptocurrency, enabling the gang to obscure the origins of the funds.

According to a statement from the Metropolitan Police: “They exploited the legitimate demand in Ukraine for vehicles as part of their war effort, and the lack of cryptocurrency regulation, to maximise their profit and made millions in just over a year.”

Between 2022 and 2023, the group laundered a total of £6.63 million. Following a five-week trial, Valeriy Popovych, 52, from Sunbury‐on‐Thames, and Vitaliy Lutsak, 43, from Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, were each handed 6.5-year prison sentences.

Oksana Popovych, 42, also from Sunbury‐on‐Thames and the wife of Valeriy, will be sentenced separately on 30 May. She was also involved in the scheme through her role in the family’s export company.

The court found all three guilty of transferring criminal property, or money laundering, as well as operating an unregistered money service business. The investigation, led by the Metropolitan Police’s Economic Crime Unit, uncovered the intricate network the gang used to hide their financial activities.

During sentencing, Justice John Dodd KC remarked: “This clearly was sophisticated offending, carried out over a sustained period. I’m satisfied each of you played a leading role in this operation.”

Valeriy Popovych operated an export business called Sprint Commercial Ltd, through which he bought vehicles from legitimate traders in the UK and exported them to Ukraine. His wife was also employed by the business. Police revealed that Popovych purchased the vehicles using criminal cash, and then sent the proceeds from sales in Ukraine to a local money service business, where they were converted into cryptocurrency.

“Valeriy would purchase the goods with criminal cash before the money was deposited in Ukraine and converted to cryptocurrency,” the Metropolitan Police stated.

Meanwhile, Lutsak acted as the financial coordinator for the operation. He instructed Popovych to collect illicit cash from criminal contacts across the UK, which was then used to acquire the vehicles. Investigators discovered that Lutsak had transferred over $14 million in cryptocurrency using ‘cryptowallets’ stored on his computer.

During the investigation, police found a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet detailing how the pair laundered £6.63 million between August 2022 and June 2023. The criminal proceeds also enabled the Popovyches to purchase a second home in southwest London worth nearly £1 million.

On 28 June 2023, police intercepted a vehicle in Twickenham in which Popovych was travelling. Inside, officers uncovered over £60,000 in cash. Popovych was arrested at the scene. A subsequent search of his home in Feltham led to the seizure of an additional £130,000 in cash and various electronic devices.

The extensive investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police’s Economic Crime Unit in collaboration with the National Crime Agency (NCA), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Officers analysed a wealth of complex digital evidence, including chat logs, money transactions, CCTV footage, cryptocurrency wallets, and call records, to secure the convictions.

By fLEXI tEAM