KGB arrested 10 persons involved in “potassium case”
- 29.05.2012, 15:28
10 citizens of Belarus, the most active persons involved in the so-called “potassium case”, are arrested and placed to the KGB remand prison.
It has been said by the chief of the main directorate of the economic security of the KGB Viktar Rusak.
“A well-organised and territorially expanded criminal group has been detected. It caused a considerable economic damage to the interests of the state,” V. Rusak stressed, adding that over 2011 taken alone the damages caused by illegal trade in potassium fertilizers was about $ 30 mln, Interfax reports.
As said by him, the criminal scheme included buying potassium at a price from $12 to $20 per ton from agricultural services and farming enterprises. Then, with the use of forged documents, presenting it as a Russian product, potassium was delivered abroad at a price of $350-400 per ton. “At least 40 persons were involved in illegal activities, 4 autonomous criminal groups, several were used,” V. Rusak clarified.
A representative of the KGB reminded that investigation of the criminal case started with a scandalous detention of 6 trucks with potassium fertilizers at the border checkpoint Kamenny Loh in April this year. The trucks were heading for the EU and the documents for the products had been forged.
“There have been some attempts to use this scheme earlier as well, but as a stable criminal scheme these deliveries of potassium fertilizers started in 2010,” the KGB representatives believe. For laundering the money earned due to potassium sales, false business entities structures were used. Money was delivered through them to offshore accounts and then, through complex fraud schemes, was deposited in banks of different countries, but not Belarus.
As said by Rusak, all the 10 detainees are Belarusian citizens, however citizens of other countries, for instance Russia, had been involved in the scheme as well. All the potassium bought from Belarusian agricultural enterprises, was described in the invoices as Russian one, loaded at a storehouse in Smolensk.
Giving characteristics to the key persons involved in the case, the KGB representative noted that “they are not poor people, but they hid their super-profits carefully.”