Raids at "Gorbushka": law enforcement officers are clearing out illegal crypto exchangers
Large-scale operational measures continue for the second day at the legendary Moscow market "Gorbushka". According to my data, the investigative actions are directly related to a criminal case concerning the activities of illegal digital currency exchange points that were based on the territory of the shopping complex.
This concerns pavilions and service premises where, apparently, a shadow business for cashing out and converting crypto assets had been operating for a long time. Operatives have already seized large sums of cash, as well as documentation and electronic equipment relevant to the investigation. At the moment, exact figures are not disclosed, but the scale of what has been seized suggests that we are talking about turnovers in the millions.
Timeline of events on the complex's territory
According to information received from complex employees, masked individuals arrived at the scene as early as the previous day. Part of the territory of "New Gorbushka" — the indoor complex "Gorbushkin Dvor", located in the building of the former "Rubin" plant — was cordoned off. Employees of the illegal exchange services are locked in the premises, and investigators are working with them on site. There is no data on detainees yet, but obviously, it is only a matter of time.
It is important to emphasize that this is not a one-off action, but part of the systematic work of the capital's authorities to bring order to the sphere of digital asset circulation. Just a week earlier, FSB and Ministry of Internal Affairs officers suppressed the activities of nine illegal exchange offices in the "Moscow-City" business center. More than 20 people were detained then, and, according to the investigation, Ukrainian call centers used these platforms to launder money stolen from Russian citizens. Criminal cases of fraud on an especially large scale have been opened based on those facts.
Context: the new law on cryptocurrencies
It is noteworthy that the searches in "Moscow-City" took place just three days after the signing of the law on the basic regulation of digital currencies. The main provisions of the document come into force on September 1, 2026, and existing businesses are given a transition period until July 1, 2027. However, as we can see, law enforcement agencies do not intend to wait for the formal entry into force of the law and are already actively identifying and suppressing illegal schemes.
My analysis: This wave of searches is a clear signal to the market. The legalization of the crypto industry in Russia goes hand in hand with a tough crackdown on the shadow sector. Market participants who are still operating in the gray zone should hurry to reformat their business to meet the new requirements. Otherwise, as practice shows, they face not only administrative but also criminal liability. There is almost no time left to stall.