Three people have been found guilty of laundering more than £6 million by taking advantage of the war in Ukraine. Valeriy Popovych, his wife Oksana Popovych, and an associate, Vitaliy Lutsak, were part of an organised crime gang that used a fake export business to move and hide criminal cash.
Their scam worked by purchasing second-hand vans and lorries in the UK using dirty money. These vehicles were then sold in Ukraine, where the ongoing war has created a huge demand for transport. But instead of using the money legally, they turned it into cryptocurrency — digital money that’s harder to trace — and hid the true source of their profits.
Valeriy Popovych ran a business called Sprint Commercial Ltd, which appeared to be a normal company exporting vehicles. Oksana Popovych worked with him, helping to run the operation. But behind the scenes, they were using it to wash millions in illegal funds.
Lutsak acted as the money man. He arranged pickups of cash from various “customers” across the UK. Investigators later found that more than $14 million in cryptocurrency had passed through his digital wallets, stored on his computer.
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Some of the laundered money was linked to Russian national Semen Kuksov, who had already been jailed in a connected case under the National Crime Agency’s Operation Destabilise.
Police Discover Key Evidence: Hidden Cash, Messages, and Crypto Wallets
The gang’s downfall began on 28 June 2023, when police stopped a vehicle in Twickenham. Valeriy Popovych was a passenger. Inside, officers found over £60,000 in cash. That same day, a search at his property uncovered another £130,000 hidden away, along with a laptop and phones that later provided major clues.
From there, officers with the Metropolitan Police’s Economic Crime Unit launched a deep investigation. They found messages, call logs, transaction records, and cryptocurrency wallets that clearly showed a money laundering operation in full swing.
One of the most damning pieces of evidence was a spreadsheet titled V Enf Acc. It detailed over £6 million laundered through the gang’s network between August 2022 and June 2023. It also showed how they tried to hide these transactions behind what looked like legitimate vehicle sales.
Investigators worked with several national agencies including HM Revenue and Customs, the Financial Conduct Authority, and the National Crime Agency. They pulled together evidence like CCTV, banking records, and digital files. It became clear that this was a tightly controlled operation, with each member playing a key role.
Vitaliy Lutsak, who was arrested at his home on 15 May 2024, played a major part by collecting criminal cash and funnelling it through cryptocurrency platforms. Officers discovered multiple crypto wallets on his devices that linked him directly to the illegal transfers.
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The investigation also revealed that Valeriy and Oksana Popovych used some of the dirty money to buy a second house in South West London worth nearly £1 million.
Two Sentenced, One Awaits Her Fate
Following a five-week trial at Wood Green Crown Court, three individuals were found guilty on 5 March 2025: Valeriy Popovych, Oksana Popovych, and Vitaliy Lutsak. They were convicted of transferring criminal property worth over £6 million and of operating an unregistered money service business — both serious crimes under UK law.
On 7 April 2025, Valeriy Popovych and Vitaliy Lutsak were each sentenced to six years and six months in prison. Oksana Popovych, who was also found guilty, is due to be sentenced on 30 May 2025.
Negeen Momtahen, a Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the group used a legitimate-looking business as a cover to move and hide massive amounts of illegal money. She stressed that money laundering isn’t a victimless crime — it helps keep other crimes alive by allowing criminals to safely use their dirty money.
This case highlights how the gang exploited the chaos and demand caused by war to fuel a sophisticated international money laundering scheme. But thanks to the detailed work of UK police and partner agencies, their operation has now been shut down and its leaders are behind bars — with one more soon to follow.
