The Prosecution Service of Georgia continues to inform the public about the measures taken in the fight against the so-called fraudulent call centers.

As we stated during the briefing on September 6 of this year, the Prosecution Service of Georgia, with the involvement of European colleagues, is actively continuing its investigation into transnational crime to identify and prosecute those involved in the acquisition and subsequent laundering of millions of euros belonging to citizens of various European countries through the so-called fraudulent call centers.

We remind the public that this case is about an organized criminal group established under "Morgan Limited" LLC. Members of this group fraudulently acquired over 3,170,000 euros from citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany, Slovenia, and Slovakia between 2019 and 2021. Afterward, the funds were laundered. During the period of fraudulently obtaining money from the European population, one of the heads of the fraudulent call center operating under the name "Morgan Limited" deposited over one million dollars into the bank accounts of Davit Kezerashvili, his sister, and his sister’s son.

The investigation has established that the unofficial shareholders and actual owners of the fraudulent call center were Georgian citizens Eldar Biniashvili and Davit Todua, along with other individuals. The individuals mentioned personally led the operations of the organized criminal group, assigned functions to other members, and made all important decisions necessary for the group"s daily activities. Because the individuals have left Georgia, criminal prosecution has been initiated against them in absentia, and they will be immediately declared wanted internationally to arrest them and bring them before justice in Georgia.

The investigation has also identified three members of the organized criminal group, including the Heads of the Security and German-English Language Department, who were arrested today on charges of fraud and money laundering.

It has been established that all three arrested individuals directly led and controlled the criminal activities of their subordinates. They assigned roles and created favorable conditions for the effective execution of these illegal operations. Additionally, specially selected individuals with foreign language skills were tasked with contacting citizens of European countries using various communication methods. These individuals fraudulently persuaded the victims to invest in supposedly profitable ventures, then transferred the funds obtained to electronic wallets controlled by the criminal organization. When victims requested the return of their investments and profits, all communication with them was abruptly cut off.

The prosecution service has filed a motion on applying detention as a measure of constraint of all five individuals within the terms laid down by the law. The charge brought carried imprisonment for a term of 9 to 12 years.

We would like to remind the public that criminal prosecution has been initiated against seven individuals, including one legal entity, in connection with the case.

In recent years, as a result of various actions, the Prosecution Service of Georgia has prosecuted a total of 94 individuals and 7 legal entities involved in call center operations. Hundreds of citizens from various European countries are known to be victims, with total damages exceeding GEL 30 million. Additionally, assets allegedly acquired through criminal activities, valued at over GEL 100 million, have been seized.

In conclusion, I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to address the public and encourage anyone with information about the possible operation of fraudulent call centers to come forward and provide us with that information immediately. Please report such information to us via the hotline at 2 405 222, through the Facebook page or website of the Georgian Prosecution Service or any other convenient communication channel. Your involvement is crucial for effectively identifying those involved in criminal activities and ensuring that appropriate legal measures are taken against them.