MOSCOW, October 6 (RAPSI) – Five defendants in a case of ex-owners of Promsvyazbank, the Ananyev brothers Alexey and Dmitry, charged with illegal siphoning over 87 billion rubles (over $1 billion) belonging to the credit organization abroad, were arrested on Tuesday, the press service of Russia’s Investigative Committee reports.

Investigators identified nine alleged accomplices of the former bankers and brought charges against them, but only five of them were arrested. Others were put on a wanted list, the statement reads.

Investigators believe that in 2017 the Ananyev brothers created a criminal group to embezzle funds of the bank after the Central Bank of Russia had revealed numerous violations in the credit organization. Ordered by Dmitry Ananyev in December 2017, the accomplices made payments in favor of a firm registered in Amsterdam for securities allegedly acquired from it, including Promsvyazbank shares and bonds issued by other legal entities controlled by the bankers. The deal was registered through fictious purchase and sale contracts.

Thus, they withdrew 87.2 million rubles from Russia’s financial circulation in several hours and transferred to Cyprus. Later, the Ananyev brothers laundered and managed the money at sole discretion, according to the investigation.

In September 2019, Moscow’s Basmanny District Court issued an arrest warrant for Alexey and Dmitry Ananyev in absentia. They are on the international wanted list.