Spanish police have arrested Dmitry Artyakov, son of a top Russian defense official, for allegedly laundering millions through luxury real estate purchases in Girona using funds linked to the Troika Laundromat scheme.
Spanish police have arrested Dmitry Artyakov, the son of a top Russian defense official, on suspicion of laundering millions of euros through real estate deals in northeastern Spain.
Artyakov, who is under U.S. sanctions, was detained on Saturday at his home in Girona as part of a probe led by Spain’s Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and coordinated by the Audiencia Nacional, Spain’s top criminal court, judicial sources confirmed to OCCRP.
Authorities allege Artyakov acquired eight properties, including two adjacent luxury villas, in the coastal town of Castell-Platja d'Aro between 2005 and 2008 through funds linked to the “Troika Laundromat,” a massive money-laundering network previously exposed by OCCRP.
The homes were initially purchased for €14 million by Artyakov’s grandmother, Ana Kurepina, the mother-in-law of Vladimir Artyakov, a vice president of Russia’s defense conglomerate Rostec and former governor of Samara region, located in the southeastern part of the European territory of Russia. In 2014, Kurepina sold the properties to her grandson for €10 million, according to court documents.
Investigators say Kurepina acted as a front, receiving at least €14 million from Delco Networks SA, a shell company tied to the Troika Laundromat network, in some 20 separate transfers disguised as loans that were never repaid.
The Troika Laundromat scheme, uncovered in 2019 by OCCRP and Lithuanian partner 15min.lt, moved billions of dollars out of Russia through offshore companies, allowing elites to acquire shares in state-owned companies, buy real estate in Russia and abroad, luxury goods, and even hire music superstars for private parties.
Spanish authorities say the Girona properties and financial flows are part of that broader scheme.
The court has not yet announced a trial date.
