Searches at "Gorbushka": law enforcement officers busted a network of illegal crypto exchangers
At the legendary Moscow market "Gorbushka," large-scale operational measures have been ongoing for the second day. According to my information, this involves the dismantling of an underground network of exchange offices specializing in digital currency operations.
Law enforcement officers are working directly in the pavilions and service areas of the shopping complex. During the searches, substantial amounts of cash, documentation, and electronic equipment have already been seized. Part of the territory has been cordoned off, and employees of the illegal services are blocked on-site—investigative actions are being conducted with them.
Where exactly the searches are taking place
The measures have unfolded at the "New Gorbushka" complex—a building adjacent to the historic market near the Gorbunov House of Culture. According to preliminary data, the exchange offices had been operating within the complex for the past several years, and now Moscow law enforcement agencies have taken a close look at this business.
It is important to note that this is not the first such operation in recent times. A week earlier, the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs suppressed the activities of nine illegal exchange offices in the "Moscow-City" business center. More than 20 employees were detained at that time, and the investigation uncovered a scheme in which Ukrainian call centers used these platforms to launder funds stolen from Russian citizens. Criminal cases have been opened for fraud on an especially large scale.
Context: the new cryptocurrency law
It is telling that the searches in "Moscow-City" took place just three days after the signing of the law on basic regulation of digital currencies. The main provisions of the document come into force on September 1, 2026, and existing businesses have been given a transition period until July 1, 2027. This is a clear signal to the market: the era of gray schemes is coming to an end.
My analysis: The systematic nature of these raids—from "Moscow-City" to "Gorbushka"—indicates a coordinated state strategy to clean up the illegal exchange segment before launching a full-fledged legal framework. Market participants who still operate outside the legal framework should view this as a final warning: after September 2026, the stakes will be incomparably higher.