Fly Mobile: A Telecom Brand Built on Dirty Money
Fly Mobile, operating in Russia, India, and the UK, played a critical role in the Ananiev brothers’ plan to move billions out of Promsvyazbank (PSB). With its real business operations providing a legitimate front, the telecom brand masked the flow of misappropriated funds through a complex global network of companies.
Key Figures: The Executives Pulling the Strings
The leadership team of Fly Mobile was critical to maintaining its legitimacy while enabling the movement of funds out of Russia. Among the key figures were Robert Agee, Suresh Radhakrishnan, Andrew Sean Collinge, and Nooreddin Valimahomed. These executives were tasked with overseeing Fly Mobile’s financial operations and facilitating the flow of funds through its global network.
Andrew Sean Collinge, a British national, was deeply embedded in the operations of Fly Mobile and its related entities. His role went far beyond Fly Mobile’s collapse, as he continued to oversee key companies tied to the Ananiev brothers’ network, ensuring that some businesses remained operational long after others had collapsed. Collinge’s continued oversight of OOO NTST Services suggests a consistent role in managing entities within the Ananyevs’ network, even as other companies tied to PSB loans collapsed..
The Role of Andrew Sean Collinge
Andrew Sean Collinge was one of the most significant players in the Fly Mobile network, overseeing not only the telecom operations but also other businesses linked to the Ananievs. Collinge’s business activities were centered around companies like Fly Mobile Ltd., Meridian Mobile, and later OOO NTST Services in Russia. Even after the collapse of Fly Mobile and Meridian Group, Collinge remained active through NTST, which was suspected of continuing to benefit from PSB loans.
OOO NTST Services remained operational beyond 2019, raising questions about how it continued to stay afloat despite the collapse of the larger companies it was once tied to. The suspicion that NTST Services was living off the remaining funds from PSB loans mirrors the broader strategy employed by the Ananievs and their network — keeping certain companies alive to maintain control over the funds long after the collapse of the primary ventures.
Collinge’s role in NTST Services highlights his deep involvement in Fly Mobile’s network, making him a key player in keeping the remnants of the Ananiev brothers’ financial empire running. His connection to Meridian Speciality Technologies and his influence over the remaining businesses helped protect the flow of money and assets even as other companies folded.
The Valimahomed Family’s Role: A Pattern of Asset Evasion
While Nooreddin Valimahomed was instrumental in procuring funds through Fly Mobile, he avoided direct ownership of major assets. Instead, the Valimahomed family followed a familiar pattern of distancing themselves from the ownership of the businesses linked to these funds. Sadruddin Valimahomed, Nooreddin’s presumed brother, was the ultimate beneficial owner of Meridian Group Services Ltd., one of the key entities involved in the global flow of funds.
Nooreddin Valimahomed
Additionally, Nazim Valimahomed, another family member, used funds indirectly derived from PSB and Fly Mobile to establish B-Social Ltd. in the UK, with an announced capital of GBP 13.25 million. This financial services venture followed the same pattern—distancing the Valimahomed family from the source of fraudulent funds while establishing a legitimate business.
In addition to Nooreddin Valimahomed’s direct involvement with Fly Mobile and Wynncom Digital, the family’s reach extended into the UK through Nazim Valimahomed. In 2018, Nazim established B-Social Ltd., a financial services company with a capital of GBP 13.25 million. This venture followed the familiar pattern of the Valimahomed family, where they sought to distance themselves from the origins of the funds while creating legitimate-looking businesses. The investment in B-Social, likely supported by funds indirectly derived from the Ananiev brothers’ network, shows how the Valimahomed family strategically positioned themselves in different markets, further concealing the true sources of their wealth.
Fly Mobile’s Global Network of Affiliates
Fly Mobile’s operations were supported by a network of affiliates, including Nichefinder Ltd. in Singapore and Wynncom Digital Pvt. Ltd. in India. These companies acted as conduits for moving money under the guise of business transactions. One of the key players in this network was Olepan Trading Ltd., a Cyprus-based entity that restructured Fly Mobile’s debts, allowing funds to be obscured and moved offshore.
Nooreddin Valimahomed was a central figure in these operations, particularly through his role in managing Wynncom Digital’s activities. His involvement ensured that the funds flowed smoothly between Fly Mobile’s affiliates and offshore entities like Meridian Group Services Ltd., which was controlled by Sadruddin Valimahomed.
Wiley Fox
Wiley Fox, a UK-based smartphone brand, represents another piece of the Ananiev brothers’ broader telecom strategy. While Fly Mobile served as a key channel for moving funds, investments into Wiley Fox allowed the brothers to diversify their interests within the telecom sector. Similar to Fly Mobile’s operations, Wiley Fox benefited indirectly from the flow of funds orchestrated through entities like Nichefinder Ltd. and Meridian Group. The investment into Wiley Fox helped maintain a legitimate front for the brothers’ financial activities, allowing them to present an international business presence while continuing to obscure the origins of their capital
Debt Restructuring as a Cover for Money Laundering
Fly Mobile’s financial challenges were well-known, but the debt restructuring process was used as a convenient cover to move money into offshore accounts. Nichefinder Ltd. and Wynncom Digital Pvt. Ltd. acted as conduits, with Olepan Trading Ltd. facilitating the restructuring process in Cyprus. This created a smokescreen for the Ananievs and their associates, allowing them to transfer funds without drawing suspicion.
Meridian and BVI Links: The Offshore Web Continues
Beyond Fly Mobile’s direct operations, the company was linked to entities like Meridian Group Services Ltd. in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), which helped transfer funds through Cyprus and Dubai. Meridian General Trading LLC, based in the UAE, also played a role in facilitating these transfers.
Sadruddin Valimahomed, the ultimate beneficial owner of Meridian Group Services Ltd., was key to these offshore activities. The Valimahomed family’s well-established use of proxies and offshore vehicles made it even more difficult for authorities to trace the funds.
Fly Mobile’s Collapse: Planned from the Start?
Fly Mobile’s collapse, following the movement of assets offshore, appeared to align with a broader pattern of winding down operations once funds were securely transferred.
By 2017, Fly Mobile’s financial collapse was public knowledge, but much of the company’s assets had already been moved into offshore accounts. Wynncom Digital and Nichefinder Ltd. absorbed Fly Mobile’s remaining assets, ensuring that the Ananievs and their associates were insulated from the fallout.
It is not impossible that the collapse of Fly Mobile was not a failure but a calculated part of the plan. With most of the funds safely moved offshore, Fly Mobile’s role in the larger financial scheme had been completed.
Nominees and Proxies: The Usual Suspects
As with their other ventures, the Ananyevs used nominee directors and proxies to shield their involvement in Fly Mobile. Robert Agee, Suresh Radhakrishnan, Andrew Sean Collinge, and Nooreddin Valimahomed were the public faces, while the true control lay with the Ananyevs and their offshore network.
The Valimahomed family, following their established pattern, avoided direct ownership of assets, ensuring that they remained out of reach from creditors and authorities. The funds, funneled through Fly Mobile’s network, ended up in offshore accounts, safeguarded by entities like Meridian Group Services Ltd. and Olepan Trading Ltd..
Meanwhile, Andrew Sean Collinge continued to oversee businesses like OOO NTST Services, which remained operational in Russia, benefiting from the funds that were moved out of PSB long after Fly Mobile’s collapse.
A Telecom Brand Built on Fraud
Fly Mobile may have operated as a legitimate telecom company, but it was also a key part of the Ananiev brothers’ broader fraud. Through the efforts of Nooreddin Valimahomed, Sadruddin Valimahomed, Robert Agee, and Andrew Sean Collinge, the company’s operations became a tool for funneling billions out of Promsvyazbank. The connections to Cyprus, BVI, and UAE reveal the global scale of the fraud, with Fly Mobile and its affiliates used to obscure the illicit movement of funds.
Even after the collapse of Fly Mobile, Andrew Sean Collinge continued to manage OOO NTST Services, a Russian-based company that is suspected of continuing to live off the remaining PSB loans. His role in keeping this business operational suggests that the financial remnants of the Ananyev network are still in play.
If you have any additional information about the Ananyev brothers and/or their affiliates or the companies associated with them, please contact us at [email protected]. Your input could greatly assist our ongoing investigation, which is far from over.
Our thanks go to the team at https://AssetTracing.com for their assistance in preparing this investigation.