Today, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada passed draft law No. 16013, initiated by the President of Ukraine , which strengthens liability for illegal actions involving payment instruments and bank accounts.
This was reported by Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Ivan Vyhivskyi.
“This is the so-called law on ‘drops’, which will help counter more effectively, in particular, fraudulent call centres and schemes through which Ukrainians lose their money,” he explained.
It is precisely drop accounts that are one of the key tools criminals use to move and conceal illegally obtained funds.
Criminal liability is now предусмотрена for such actions. Depending on the nature of the offence, this may be a fine or imprisonment.
In total, 270 MPs voted in favour, according to the Telegram channel of the Ukrainian parliament.
The document, in particular, introduces criminal liability for the transfer, receipt, acquisition or storage of means of access to bank accounts, electronic wallets and “drop accounts” used in criminal schemes.
The law describes networks of “drop accounts” — nominal payment accounts — as a separate element of criminal infrastructure that has taken on a systemic character and ensures the functioning of payment fraud schemes, call-centre operations, illegal gambling, money laundering, the circulation of excisable goods and narcotic drugs, as well as cash-conversion operations.
The operation of such networks involves a division of roles between organisers, so-called “drop handlers”, who search for and recruit nominal account holders, individuals who ensure the receipt and transfer of payment instruments and access to accounts, as well as those who convert funds into cash or virtual assets.
Read alsoZelenskyy submitted two draft laws to parliament on criminal liability for call centres and drop accounts. What the drafts are about
- In September, the Verkhovna Rada backed tougher liability for participation in call centres: the maximum punishment is up to 15 years and confiscation. The draft law was adopted against the backdrop of a high-profile exposure of an organised criminal group in the Prosecutor General’s Office that was taking bribes to cover up call centres. The President has already signed the law.