Russian citizen Sergei Vagin was a completely unknown figure in Colombia until March 30, when his capture was confirmed in Bogota thanks to an operation by the 13th Army Brigade. Vagin would have been in charge of moving millions of dollars to finance public disorder and actions against the National Security Forces in different cities of Colombia during the strikes that were registered in the country from 2019 through online gambling.
The Attorney General's Office handles four investigation on the criminal network, and according to the reserved hearings, which were extended for two weeks, the investigating entity detailed that the organization, led by Sergei Vagin, would have moved during two years about usd1M
This by means of a plan to obtain prizes in the 16 authorized sport gambling houses in Colombia and the movement of resources between Moscow and Bogota.
Sergei Vagin would be recruiting Venezuelan personnel around the Venezuelan Embassy in order to help them and accommodate them in different hostels in downtown Bogota, being financed by himself and apparently instrumentalized for the protests in exchange for alleged loans of bank accounts and credit cards. It was found that the organization had an illegal model in which, initially, it contacted and convinced different people to provide personal data to create profiles in virtual gambling houses, bank accounts and e-mails.
Each of the online users received money transfers from Europe. The funds were allegedly used to place fraudulent bets on different sports tournaments around the world. The investments were allegedly managed by the alleged ringleaders in Russia and other countries on behalf of the account holders.
“The structure accompanied the winners of the bets to claim the sums set as prizes. The whole scheme, it seems, generated profits of 115% and 220%. The evidence indicates that more than usd 1M were moved since October 2020”
In 2019, the National Army set off alarms about the presence of Sergei Vagin, who moved freely around the country with a special permit issued by the Russian Embassy. The man had already appeared at different demonstrations of the National Strikes experienced during the last years, recording acts of vandalism and sending videos to different people in Russia.
In April 2021 a non-formal source, who was close to the Counterintelligence Battalion No.5 of Frontiers warned about the existence of a network dedicated to money laundering that would be formed by Russian and Colombian citizens. After reviewing the case in question, it was determined that there was a movement of money that would be led by Sergei.
The intelligence and counterintelligence reports reviewed by the Army that were delivered to the Prosecutor's Office with the label of "ultra-reserved", the first image of the Russian citizen is delivered. This document was key to identify other members of the network, the telephone subscribers from which a crime was being committed.
It was also possible to establish that a person close to this organization had offered an active colonel of the Army assigned to the General Command of the Military Forces to deliver top secret information of the National Plan for the Acquisition of Arms, data with a "strategic value and of importance for the security and national defense". The Army itself pointed out that this information was so sensitive "that the final consumer of this document is solely and exclusively the President of the Republic".
Finally, together with the foreigner, six other Colombians were placed under the security measure. They will have to answer for the crimes of criminal conspiracy, non-consensual transfer of assets and illicit use of telecommunications networks.
