‘Serial money launderers’ processed stolen millions
Pair jailed for providing service for those involved in organised crime
TWO West Drayton men will spend a combined 12 years behind bars for laundering millions of pounds stolen from unsuspecting victims via email.
Money was stolen using ‘malicious software’ which sent an email attachment allowing criminals to record victims bank details.
The software, called Dridex, allows criminals to remotely access a victim’s device to steal their personal information.
Pavel Gincota, 32, and Ion Turcan, 35, both Moldovan nationals with Romanian citizenship, laundered the stolen money for criminals using more than 220 different bank accounts.
Gincota and Turcan, both of Trout Road, in Yiewsley, pleaded guilty to all charges against them at the Old Bailey on Tuesday October 4 and were jailed for five years and eight months and seven years respectively.
Steve Brown, senior investigating officer at the National Crime The Uxbridge Gazette Series Agency (NCA) National Cyber Unit, Steve Brown, said: “Pavel Gincota and Ion Turcan were serial money launderers who processed millions of pounds worth of stolen money through hundreds of bank accounts to fund their lifestyles.
“Those involved in the most serious types of organised crime depend on the services provided by money launderers like Gincota and Turcan to hide profits.
“The NCA will continue to work closely their criminal with our partners to prevent organised criminals from accessing the proceeds of their crimes and to bring them to justice.”
The duo were under investigation by the NCA when they were arrested by the Metropolitan Police in February last year for being in possession of multiple false identity documents.
During a search of their home near Uxbridge officers seized more fraudulent documents and several electronic devices.
Forensic examination revealed that a laptop, owned by Gincota, was used to control the bank accounts used to launder the money. Gincota was charged with conspiracy to possess false ID, conspiracy to launder money between 2014 and 2016 and a further charge of conspiracy to launder money in 2012 for a separate offence in Germany in 2012 in which the victim lost 25,000 euros.
Turcan was charged with conspiracy to possess false ID and conspiracy to launder money between 2014 and 2016.