FCC Uncovers Rs450 Million International Fraud Linked to Money-Laundering

Mauritian authorities have uncovered a labyrinthine international fraud scheme involving a vast money-laundering operation estimated at Rs 450 million. Central to this unfolding drama is Yuanyuan Yang, known by her alias “Jessica”, a Chinese national residing in Choisy-les-Bains, whose alleged complicity has thrust her into the eye of a storm that spans continents.

Arrest and Legal Proceedings

On Thursday, 8 May 2025, the Financial Crimes Commission (FCC) apprehended Yang in a decisive raid, casting a spotlight on her role within a sophisticated web of deception.

Charged under the Financial Crimes Commission Act for suspected money-laundering, she was swiftly brought before the Pamplemousses district court that very day.

Provisonally charged, she was granted bail set at Rs 100,000, subject to the signing of a Rs 500,000 acknowledgment of debt.

The conditions imposed upon her include residence at a fixed address, daily police reporting between 6 am and 7 pm, and maintaining constant availability for the ongoing inquiry.

The Mechanisms of the Fraud

The investigation paints a chilling picture of organised crime’s cunning utilisation of seemingly legitimate fronts.

Yang allegedly operated under the pseudonym “Jessica”, employing a dormant, legally registered but inactive real estate agency as a façade to launder illicit funds.

The FCC uncovered a cache of a dozen counterfeit property sale agreements involving foreign “buyers,” creating a façade of genuine villa acquisitions within luxurious complexes across Mauritius.

The International Money Trail

Crucially, the funds in question originated from platforms such as “Strike on Line,” managed by Ukrainian Yevhen Syvokon and Mauritian Neervisingh Ramdenee.

Their operation primarily targeted cryptocurrency investors—mainly French, Belgian, Luxembourgish, and British citizens—lured by slick digital marketing campaigns on social media.

Victims believed they were investing in a reputable platform; once their funds were converted into Bitcoin, the money was diverted into online bank accounts in the United Kingdom, registered in the names of fictitious clients of Yang’s agency.

From there, cash was withdrawn in person, with a portion siphoned off to Syvokon and his associates.

Evidence from the Raids

The raid on Yang’s residence yielded startling evidence: approximately Rs 1.8 million in assorted foreign currencies including Rs 408,000, 14,000 euros, US$9,269, £400, Swiss francs 5,000, and 3,300 yuan.

These sums are believed to be directly derived from the illicit operations.

Forensic analysis of communications between Syvokon and Yang confirmed their close collaboration, laying bare the inner workings of a transnational criminal enterprise.

The Role of the Fake Call Centre

Further complicating the picture is the role played by Ramdenee, who allegedly established a fictitious call centre—never registered officially—which served as an intermediary to contact victims.

These operators, paid in cash, initially offered investment opportunities, then coerced victims into paying additional “fees” purportedly for recovering their lost funds—fees that were never refunded.

Testimonies reveal that Syvokon, accompanied by two guards, personally distributed wages in cash to staff at the end of each month, highlighting the organised and hierarchical nature of the operation.

Broader European Dimensions and Ongoing Investigations

The case now extends into the broader European arena.

The FCC is collaborating closely with the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to assess the scope of the fraud within Britain and to identify all affected individuals.

Authorities are also scrutinising the validity of the permits issued to Syvokon and Ramdenee by the Mauritius Economic Development Board, alongside their immigration documents, raising critical questions:

Are the individuals named in the fake property contracts real? Do the alleged property acquisitions actually exist? Or are these merely fictions designed solely to facilitate money laundering?

The Growing Threat of Transnational Fraud

This investigation underscores the alarming sophistication of modern transnational fraud networks, which exploit regulatory loopholes and technological vulnerabilities on a grand scale.

As the web of deception continues to unfold, law enforcement agencies remain determined to dismantle these illicit operations, exposing the dark underbelly of a globalised financial crime apparatus that has ensnared countless victims across Europe and beyond.

Source: l’Express