The police uncovered an organized group of nine people who tried to steal money from bank accounts of VIP clients of the Savings Bank, a source in the Interior Ministry said. Information on the disclosure of organized criminal groups was confirmed by another source in the department.

"During the operational activities in St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod police officers detained nine people," - said the source of RBC in the police.

The detainees, aged between 30 and 64 years, acted in the group, the interlocutor of RBC noted. Five of the detainees were employees of the bank, in particular, the group included client managers and a manager for servicing VIP clients, he notes.

"The actions of the detainees revealed signs of an organized criminal group, in particular a clear distribution of roles," the source of RBC said.

According to a source in the police, the attackers transferred $ 707 thousand (approximately 40 million rubles.) From the personal account of the VIP client of the Savings Bank to savings certificates for a total of 40 million rubles. and presented them for cashing in two branches of the Savings Bank in St. Petersburg (Nevsky Prospect and Moskovsky Prospect).

The Ministry of Internal Affairs did not disclose whether the members of the OPG managed to cash out the certificates. The investigation found that the organizer of the criminal scheme was an employee of Sberbank, which promised a cash reward to four bank managers for participating in the crime, the source said.

The police opened a criminal case under art. 159 of the Criminal Code of Russia (fraud), the interlocutor added. "One OPG member is in custody, eight are under a written undertaking not to leave the place," he said.

As Sberbank was informed by the press service of the Savings Bank, the suspects were identified as a result of an internal investigation by the bank's security service, after which the "appeal" was initiated to law enforcement agencies. "Participants in the fraudulent scheme were established, among them identified as employees of the bank, and third parties. As a result of the investigation, the employees were immediately dismissed, the money was returned to the client in full, "the bank emphasized.