The police want the power to freeze the accounts of companies suspected of money laundering for as much as 45 days without a court order, Kommersant said, citing an unidentified official in the Interior Ministry.
Money laundering has become more profitable in the country than arms and drug trafficking, the newspaper reported, citing the official. In Moscow, 5 billion rubles ($190 million) per day is laundered, while laundering in the regions has risen 80 percent, Kommersant said. It did not give a total figure for the regions.
Police investigators can currently only freeze the accounts of businesses suspected of money laundering with a court order, the newspaper reported.
A freeze on accounts can kill a business, as it would not be able to pay salaries, taxes or bills, Kommersant reported, citing Andrei Savelyev, chairman of Moskommertsbank. There is a high risk that law enforcement agencies would use such powers to pressure businesses rather than fight crime, the newspaper said. |
