Arsen Akopyan detention video released as Russian investigators say the group moved 11.4 billion rubles through electronic payments

Russia’s Investigative Committee has published video from the detention of Arsen Borisovich Akopyan, two months after he was arrested. The case matters for high-risk payment operators because investigators say the group built a payments-based laundering setup for illegal bookmakers and online casinos, using gateways, shell arrangements, and MCC (merchant category code) changes to disguise gambling flows.

1. Investigators say Akopyan assembled an organized criminal group that worked with illegal bookmakers and casinos, including Leon, MostBet, 1XBet, MelBet, Azino, Pinco, Pin-Up, and “many other mirror operations.” The stated business model was simple enough: the group took a percentage for helping these operators process and cash out money from gamblers.
2. The published footage shows Akopyan’s luxury home, including a collectible Rolls-Royce, a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, a billiards table, stacks of cash, cash-filled suitcases, and several luxury cars in the garage. The Investigative Committee also said searches were carried out at the offices of Payment Center, Gate Express, and PaySelection.
3. At least 33 people were part of Akopyan’s team, according to the report. Their work covered the full stack: payment gateways, issuing cards and SIM cards to straw men, and moving funds through mobile banking. In other words, it was not just one payment corridor; it was an operational layer built around payment routing, identity substitution, and account access.
4. Payments were reportedly disguised as purchases of goods and services by changing MCC codes. Between September and November 2025, more than 11.4 billion rubles passed through the scheme, and Akopyan and his associates earned over 500 million rubles in commissions on transfers — about 100 transactions, according to the text.
5. Alongside Akopyan, around 20 members of his team were detained. He faces up to 19 years in prison. For PSPs and acquiring teams, the useful takeaway is the shape of the alleged setup: online gambling merchants, mirror sites, MCC manipulation, straw identities, and mobile-banking rails all in one case file.