In this article, we will tell in detail the story “from the first hand” about how the Russian criminal business works in Britain, which is engaged in blackmail and money laundering from air carriers.

Note: This material reflects the opinions and assessments of the author, and the accusations made must be proven in court

Fraudulent business

We were recently contacted by a British Air Operator (name withheld for security reasons) who provided a lot of evidence, testimony, phone and email correspondence that revealed a criminal scheme to extort money from air carriers around the world. One of the possible centers of this criminal scheme is based in London, namely a company that was registered at 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden in September 2021 under the name AIR JUSTICE LTD, or better known as BlackList Aero.

This company, from the information on their website, specialises in working with debtors, and its CEO is Artem Degtiarov – distinguished himself in several high-profile criminal scandals in Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Already from this description, it becomes quite clear that the activities of BlackList Aero are not limited to legal work, but use the entire arsenal of criminal methods that have their roots in the way business is conducted in Russia. Certainly, let’s address each point in order.

You have to pay a thousand, you owe a million

One of the cases presented here is about a small air operator that provides services as private charter flights. There are thousands of such companies in Britain and around the world. Normal commercial day-to-day operations, interaction with customers and partners, receiving money from customers and payment for services. Standard commercial agreements and transparent contracts. This is quite a successful business that brings stable profits. These are the companies that Artem Degtiarov and AIR JUSTICE LTD will be interested in. After all, when there is money, there is something to blackmail and something to earn.

And the scheme of this earnings is very simple. A new client or partner who offers good conditions with post-payment is requested. Insists on his own terms of contracts, or offers to sign additional papers. The amount of the agreement is small, tens of thousands, but immediately after signing the agreement, thousands immediately become hundreds, because Degtiarov’s company is involved in the case, which begins to use the entire arsenal of means for the purpose of pressure, blackmail and other criminal methods of extorting money.

If you don’t want to have problems, you will pay

One of the effective methods that works well in Britain and other European countries is informational pressure with threats of reputation destruction, in particular through the posting of false information on the Internet or in social media.

The company that contacted us also went through this, but did not get significant problems from it, because its clients and partners had long-term trust, and therefore the first step did not work here.

Nevertheless, the company still suffered, because after the information attack, the second stage began – extortion of money and the use of criminal collection methods – threats, constant phone calls and emails to managers and employees, the use of psychological pressure, as well as false fake presentation of themselves as lawyers or on even certain officials. You can see more details about BlackList Aero reception and their methods of operation in this material.

Another area is working with partners. Here, the task is to cause maximum damage by sending false information from fake addresses that the partner company is bankrupt or violates laws, or using frankly false information about the legal status of the debtor, the possible consequences of non-payment, or even court decisions, which spoils the company’s reputation in the eyes of partners.

Undoubtedly, all this affects the psychological state of employees and management. This happened in our case as well. Threats of physical or economic harm to the debtor or his family, theft and illegal use of personal data, eventually transitioning into private life and company managers feeling the threat of violence against themselves and their families or damage to property – all this became the moment when the company agreed to the demands of collectors in the person of Artem Degtiarov and paid the money that was demanded from it by criminal activity and breaking the law.

Once you’ve given money, they will come back for more

Unfortunately, this was the case in our situation as well. Despite our previous encounters with debt collectors, our inconspicuous company found itself approached by a new potential partner — a seemingly reputable air carrier offering favorable terms and post-payment arrangements. Once again, it was not initially evident that this association would lead us back to Artem Degtiarov and AIR JUSTICE LTD.

However, armed with our past experiences, our company recognized the warning signs and refused to make any further payments. We promptly reported the matter to the police, and now, all the evidence and testimonies from the victims are being carefully examined and processed. We remain hopeful that those responsible will face the appropriate consequences, and that such collection methods, reminiscent of the organized crime of the 1930s, will be eradicated. Nevertheless, there are still risks involved as long as individuals with criminal backgrounds, including Russians, engage in such business practices.

Therefore, it is imperative for all companies to exercise utmost caution when selecting partners and ensure that they operate within the framework of established rules and legislation. Vigilance in partner selection is essential to mitigate potential risks and protect one’s business interests from unscrupulous individuals and organizations.

Criminal past

The central figure in this criminal narrative, Artem Degtiarov, possesses a significant criminal history that warrants its own tale. He has been involved in numerous intriguing cases in both Russia and Ukraine, directly entangled in political and financial scandals where he employed tactics of extortion, intimidation, and blackmail to generate illicit financial gains. Degtiarov’s clientele spanned across politicians and businessmen, and during that time, he worked under the management of Boris Berezovsky, who is well-known for his extensive stay in London. It is likely that due to these associations and the presence of numerous unsuspecting companies, Britain became the chosen ground for accumulating such ill-gotten profits, as our character perceived it to be an “easy” environment for conducting such criminal activities.

There in London he also found his accomplices - Alex Melnychenko and Lee Morgan. Alex Melnychenko is a native of Kyiv, who most likely came to Britain semi-legally. For some time he worked in the aviation industry in Ukraine, and then switched to a more profitable illegal business in Blacklist Aero.