Russian national handled OctaFX global forex operations: ED | Mumbai news

MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched an investigation into a money laundering scheme involving OctaFX, a global foreign exchange trading platform owned and directed by Russian national Pavel Prozorov. Prozorov was the mastermind behind the network which was designed to conceal the origin of illicit funds and facilitating money laundering through shell companies, revealed the ED’s chargesheet.

Russian national handled OctaFX global forex operations: ED

The involvement by 54 accused, 41 firms and 13 individuals, were detailed in ED’s two case chargesheets submitted to a Mumbai Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court from October to December of this year. The court has taken the cognisance of the chargesheets and issued ‘process’ against accused persons under the PMLA provisions, ED officials said.

The probe revealed that an accused firm, M/s Octa Markets Incorporated (for brand OctaFx) served as the primary operating entity under the directorship of Prozorov. The official website of OctaFX confirmed the management and control by Octa Markets Incorporated and the agency probe further revealed its “instrumental role” in the money laundering scheme.

The ED accused that Prozorov, who was also the director of M/s OctaFx India Pvt. Ltd, allegedly exploited regulatory loopholes and established dummy entities in India. By utilising such entities to manipulate records, he allowed funds to be transferred overseas without raising suspicion.

Further, he was allegedly directing substantial promotional campaigns targeting Indian investors, including celebrity endorsements and sponsorships, in efforts to establish the platform in the market.

Prozorov is also accused of layering, placing and integrating laundered funds as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), misrepresenting their origins and evading compliance despite multiple summons from the agency as part of the case probe. He is also accused of direct involvement in establishing a complex web of entities and orchestrating financial flows covered under the PMLA and for his role in facilitating large-scale financial fraud and evading regulatory oversight.

The ED probe also revealed the alleged role in the case of another accused, Anna Rudaia, the former Chief Executive Officer of M/s OctaFx India Pvt Ltd, in managing the Indian operations linked to illicit forex trading and money laundering activities. She allegedly organised events to promote unauthorized trading and violated regulatory frameworks mandated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). ED accused her of evading compliance despite its multiple summons and exiting India. After her departure, Rudaia continued to manage operations remotely and facilitated the formation of another firm to continue OctaFx’s activities under a different guise.

Denying ED’s allegations, an OctaFX spokesperson said on Saturday, “We strongly refute the allegations of money laundering, of promising exorbitant returns and engaging in any activities that could put traders at a disadvantage. Octa strictly adheres to anti-money laundering practices as a law-abiding company. As a CFD broker, Octa operates as an intermediary between traders and financial markets, providing a secure and transparent space where each trade is executed fairly and independently.”

Related Posts

Rupee likely to remain stable against dollar next week

Rupee likely to remain stable against dollar next week

Có thể bạn quan tâm Gold and Dow Jones in ascending triangles – Forex trading short on Brent Crude in descending triangle [Video] EUR/USD Signal Today –…

Top 5 Forex CRM Software to Elevate Your Brokerage

Top 5 Forex CRM Software to Elevate Your Brokerage

Có thể bạn quan tâm Market volumes contract amid holiday schedule Forex Signals Brief December 18: The Next FED Rate Cut Is Here! India’s Forex Reserves Decline…

GBP/USD Forecast Today - 29/12: (Chart)

GBP/USD Forecast Today – 29/12: (Chart)

Có thể bạn quan tâm EUR/USD Weekly Forecast -22/12: Sentiment Dips (Chart) Year-End Forex Playbook: Tight Ranges, Big Opportunities? India’s forex reserves fall to $652.87 billion, down…

US Economy Proves Stronger-Than-Expected in 2024

US Economy Proves Stronger-Than-Expected in 2024

Có thể bạn quan tâm Forex Signals Brief December 18: The Next FED Rate Cut Is Here! Gold Futures Decline During the Early Session After a Record-Breaking…

Will EUR/USD hit parity in 2025?

Will EUR/USD hit parity in 2025?

Có thể bạn quan tâm GBP/USD Outlook: Pound Retreats as Down Q3 Growth Estimate EUR/USD Analysis Today 19/12: Nears Parity (Chart) GBP/USD Price Analysis: Upbeat Jobs Data…

Weekly Pairs in Focus - December 22 (Charts)

Weekly Pairs in Focus – December 29 (Charts)

Có thể bạn quan tâm Europe’s Productivity Gap with the U.S. Widens & Coffee Futures Soar USD/CHF Signal Today – 16/12: USD/CHF at Resistance (Chart) GBP/USD Outlook:…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *