by Pavel Dimitrov
A House of Cards Built on Bank Loans
Alexei and Dmitry Ananyev, once titans of Russian finance, built their empire on the back of Promsvyazbank (PSB). What seemed like a legitimate bank was actually a personal piggy bank for the brothers, who funneled billions into shell companies, proxies, and offshore entities across the globe. Over time, they moved vast sums out of Russia, using a complex network of businesses. Through these entities, the Ananyevs built a global financial web that extended from Russia to Cyprus, Portugal, Canada, Poland, and beyond.
This article introduces the three key projects used to funnel money out of PSB: Launay & Dawn, Cons Trade SP. Z.O.O., and Fly Mobile. These companies were created or exploited to move cash into private accounts far beyond Russia’s borders.
PSB Bank: A Cash Cow for the Brothers
At the core of the Ananyev brothers’ fraudulent empire was Promsvyazbank (PSB). Loans from PSB weren’t just for supporting Russian businesses; they were funneled into the Ananiev brothers’ global business network. Loans were handed out to companies linked to the brothers, but the money was rarely repaid. It flowed through Cyprus, British Virgin Islands (BVI), Canada, and Austria, disappearing into offshore accounts.
When Russian regulators stepped in and the Central Bank of Russia took control of PSB in 2017, investigators found that billions were missing. These funds had been moved into offshore entities, primarily through companies like Launay & Dawn, Cons Trade, and Fly Mobile.
Launay & Dawn: A Shell Company in Canada
Launay & Dawn S.A., registered in Quebec in 2005, was one of the vehicles used to move money from PSB into Cypriot and Costa Rican shell companies. The company was managed through Firstinvest Company S.A., based in Costa Rica. This firm acted as a proxy for the Ananyevs, and its nominee directors were Bernal Zamora and Anthony Fonseca Prendas. These men were listed as directors, but their role was strictly to act as figureheads while the Ananyev brothers controlled the flow of money behind the scenes.
Between 2012 and 2015, Launay & Dawn received loans from PSB. These loans, totaling millions, were moved through Firstinvest into Cypriot holding companies and then into personal accounts controlled by the Ananievs. The scheme was complex, involving multiple offshore entities, including Meridian Group Services Ltd. in the British Virgin Islands, which helped further obfuscate the flow of funds.
Cons Trade SP. Z.O.O.: A Polish Conduit
Cons Trade SP. Z.O.O., a management consulting firm registered in Warsaw, was another cog in the Ananyev brothers’ money-laundering machine. The company, established in 2009, was used to receive significant loans from PSB. On paper, it appeared to be a legitimate business, but behind the scenes, Cons Trade was being used to funnel money into a network of offshore accounts.
At the center of Cons Trade’s operations was Dellory Holdings, a Cyprus-based company controlled by proxies on behalf of the Ananyevs. Loans from PSB flowed into Dellory’s accounts before being dispersed to other shell companies and affiliates, including Invest S Ltd., a Cyprus entity tied to the same network. The key figures in Cons Trade, Pawel Sobkow and Olga Kozlowska, were merely stand-ins, ensuring the Ananievs’ names stayed off the books.
Fly Mobile: Telecom as a Cover for Fraud
One of the more complex schemes involved Fly Mobile, a global telecom brand operating in Russia, India, and the UK. Unlike Launay & Dawn or Cons Trade, Fly Mobile was a legitimate company, but it was used by the Ananyev brothers to move large sums of money internationally. The company’s operations were leveraged to disguise fraudulent transactions and shift assets.
PSB loans were funneled through Fly Mobile’s affiliates, such as Nichefinder Ltd. in Singapore and Wynncom Digital Pvt. Ltd. in India, with the money then moving into Olepan Trading Ltd., a Cyprus-based entity used to restructure debts. Key individuals, including Robert Agee, Suresh Radhakrishnan, and Andrew Sean Collinge, were central to Fly Mobile’s operations, ensuring that the brothers’ financial interests were protected as money was moved through their global network.
Fly Mobile’s collapse in 2017 was not merely a business failure; it followed a pattern where substantial assets had already been moved offshore, leaving little behind for creditors. This pattern mirrors the strategic winding down seen in other Ananyev entities.
A Carefully Orchestrated Web
Through companies like Launay & Dawn, Cons Trade, and Fly Mobile, the Ananyev brothers systematically moved billions out of PSB. By leveraging Cyprus, BVI, Jersey, Portugal, and other offshore havens, they protected themselves from legal liability, using layers of proxies and nominees to hide their involvement. The next articles will delve deeper into each of these companies, examining the money flows, key players, and how the Ananyev brothers managed to stay in control while keeping their hands clean.
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.