Kazakhstan blocks RAKS crypto exchange with $224 mln turnover used for laundering criminal proceedsKazakhstan's Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) has identified and shut down the activities of the RAKS exchange crypto exchange service, which was used to launder proceeds from internet fraud and drug trafficking, the agency's press service reported."Blockchain monitoring of crypto transactions identified the RAKS exchange service, which provided professional services for laundering proceeds obtained from internet fraud and drug trafficking," the statement said.According to the FMA, the service collaborated with the 20 largest Darknet marketplaces, whose combined audience exceeded 5 million users. Over the past three years, proceeds from more than 200 drug shops in CIS countries - Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova - were laundered through it. The exchange's total turnover exceeded $224 million.The investigation analyzed over 4,000 crypto wallets and identified collection addresses for storing criminal proceeds. As a result, 67 wallets were blocked, and digital assets worth $9.7 million USDT (approximately 5.2 billion tenge) were frozen."The service's activities have now been completely terminated: social media accounts have been deleted, customer support work has been suspended, and Darknet forums have recorded mass complaints from drug shops about unmet financial obligations," the statement notes.The agency emphasizes that the measures taken have dealt a significant economic blow to the shadow infrastructure of the drug business, destabilizing supply logistics chains and reducing the turnover of illegal trading platforms.The FMA assures that it will continue to work to identify and expose the organizers of RAKS exchange, as well as to suppress schemes for laundering criminal proceeds using digital tools. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX