The Shadow Empire of Qiwi: The Ministry of Internal Affairs Reveals a Network of 24,000 Wallets and the Withdrawal of 30 Billion Rubles
A massive shadow financial collapse, long hidden behind the veil of a popular payment service, has finally come to public light. Law enforcement agencies have completed a key stage of the investigation, arresting three key figures in Moscow in a case linked to the illegal transfer of funds abroad. The amount funneled through this scheme is staggering—over 30 billion rubles.
According to the investigation, from 2022 to 2023, the detainees, including the heads of the Intercom group of companies, Grigory Kisilgof and Denis Li, as well as the beneficiary of the terminal business, Alexander Mikhalchuk, acted as banking payment agents. They organized a vast network of over 24,000 anonymous Qiwi wallets registered under fictitious individuals—so-called "drops." Stolen personal data of citizens was used for this purpose, creating the appearance of legitimate accounts not tied to real bank accounts.
Anonymity as a Bridge to the Crypto World
These "gray" wallets served as an ideal tool for laundering money and converting it into cryptocurrency. The anonymity they provided allowed transactions for illegal online casinos, bookmakers, and even drug trafficking. According to the investigation, the drops personally came to the defendants' offices to verify the accounts, creating an illusion of legality. Ultimately, over 30 billion rubles were funneled abroad through this underground network.
The criminal case was opened on February 11, 2026, under articles on the illegal circulation of payment instruments (Part 2 of Article 187 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and currency transactions using forged documents by an organized group on an especially large scale (Clauses "a" and "b" of Part 3 of Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). On June 25, the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow sent all three to pretrial detention. However, according to available information, the alleged organizers of the scheme are abroad and remain beyond the reach of Russian justice.
The Ghost of Qiwi: From License Revocation to Revival
This case is the logical conclusion of a long history of the state's struggle against anonymous payments. Restrictions began as early as 2019: first a ban on cash withdrawals, then on anonymous deposits. The culmination was the revocation of Qiwi Bank's license on February 21, 2024. The regulator cited systematic violations of anti-money laundering legislation and the opening of wallets without citizens' knowledge. After this, the brand changed owners, and Qiwi plc itself was renamed NanduQ.
However, the story does not end there. In December 2025, Qiwi, together with the fintech group Zaymer, launched a new electronic wallet called Qplus, based on the Euroalliance bank. The new service already offers storage of rubles and tenge, transfers, and the opening of foreign currency accounts. Against the backdrop of the high-profile exposure of the shadow network, this relaunch raises legitimate questions from law enforcement.
Expert opinion: The exposure of this scheme is a powerful signal to the market. The state is demonstrating that the era of anonymous financial "gray zones" in Russia is coming to an end. For the crypto industry, this means tighter control over P2P exchangers and any services operating at the intersection of fiat and digital assets. Investors should prepare for even closer scrutiny from regulators of any transactions that have not undergone full verification.