Troika laundromat: how Dmitry Artyakov’s family hid millions in luxury villas in Spain

Dmitry Artyakov, the son of a top Russian defense official, has been charged by a Spanish judge at the National Court with being “criminally responsible for the crime of organized crime” in addition to “money laundering,” according to court documents obtained by OCCRP.

Artyakov, who is under U.S. sanctions, was detained late last week at his home in Girona as part of a probe led by Spain’s Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and coordinated by the National Court, Spain’s top criminal court. He appeared before the prosecutor and the judge last weekend.

The judge released Artyakov provisionally while the investigation continued, but revoked his passport, barred him from leaving Spain, and ordered him to report weekly to the Audiencia Nacional—a high court with jurisdiction over all of the Spanish territory—or a local court near his residence.

Artyakov is suspected of laundering millions of euros through real estate deals in northeastern Spain.

According to investigators, Artyakov is the latest figure tied to a laundering scheme that began when his grandmother, Ana Kurepina—mother-in-law of Vladimir Artyakov, a vice president at Russian defense conglomerate Rostec and former governor of the Samara region—purchased eight properties in the coastal town of Castell-Platja d’Aro between 2005 and 2008. The acquisitions included two adjacent luxury villas.

The purchases were allegedly financed with money linked to the “Troika Laundromat,” a massive money-laundering network previously exposed by OCCRP.

Court documents show the properties were initially bought for €14 million ($16.21 million) by Kurepina, who sold them to her grandson in 2014 for €10 million ($11.57 million).

Investigators say Kurepina acted as a front, receiving at least €14 million ($16.21 million) in 20 separate transfers from Delco Networks SA, a shell company tied to the Troika Laundromat. The funds were allegedly disguised as loans that were never repaid.

The Troika Laundromat scheme, uncovered in 2019 by OCCRP and its Lithuanian partner 15min.lt, moved billions of dollars out of Russia via offshore firms. The money was used by Russian elites to acquire shares in state-owned companies, buy real estate at home and abroad, purchase luxury goods, and even hire global music stars for private events.

Spanish authorities say the Girona real estate deals and associated financial flows are part of that broader scheme.