We reported over the weekend on a network of fake companies that tried to steal a Ukrainian gold mine. Some of the trails lead to the KGB and apocalypse cults, and that's way beyond our little think tank. Here's a list for any journalists/OSINT people wanting to pick it up: - ThreadSky

danneidle.bsky.social • 80 days ago

We reported over the weekend on a network of fake companies that tried to steal a Ukrainian gold mine. Some of the trails lead to the KGB and apocalypse cults, and that's way beyond our little think tank.

Here's a list for any journalists/OSINT people wanting to pick it up:

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richardcrozier.bsky.social•80 days ago

@ukrainematters.bsky.social who would be the right person to bring Dan Niedle's work here to the attention of in Ukraine who can go deeper? Dan Niedle is a tax expert in the UK, which sounds boring but his work has exposed some pretty big scandals in the UK. @bellingcat.com should also be interested

danneidle.bsky.social•80 days ago

First level of difficulty. Why were all these companies created? We know the 2019 companies were created (at the red line) to seize the gold mine. But what happened in 2012 and 2016 (the green lines)?

(interactive version of the chart: https://buff.ly/4hQH7eo )

danneidle.bsky.social•80 days ago

And who kicked everything off with fake shipping company, Sunlight Maritime, in 2006? Surely not Michail Roerich, as he was 14 or 15. What was it doing? And who did it?

danneidle.bsky.social•80 days ago

Sunlight Maritime has perhaps the strangest fake accounts I've ever seen. Detailed and realistic - but all the numbers are way *too small* - out by a factor of perhaps 100,000.

Why? 14 year old Roerich's My First Fake Company? Or something else?

https://buff.ly/4aRF7QA

danneidle.bsky.social•80 days ago

Second level of difficultly: why is an apparently legit Florida financial services firm so chill about two of its employees being involved with Roerich's fake central bank? Particularly when one of them was previously hauled over the coals by the SEC for running a Ponzi fraud.

danneidle.bsky.social•80 days ago

Once you're done with that, level 3: the Russian connection.

Roerich's father appears to be a man called Sergey Kolpidi or Sergey Roerich. He may have previously called himself Sergei Gavrilov... https://buff.ly/42PJjP0

danneidle.bsky.social•80 days ago

- Gavrilov ran a Polish bank which was shut down following accusations of money laundering, and that he was former KGB. https://buff.ly/4hQRQ8t

nofeono.bsky.social•79 days ago

@bellingcat.com

iotechris.bsky.social•80 days ago

@youranoncentral.bsky.social
Dan Neidle knows his stuff on business law but maybe more info can be found on other aspects of this illegal operation? The KGB connection reeks of Putin's cronies.

danneidle.bsky.social•80 days ago

Thanks - yes, way out of my depth on that!

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