In April 2024, numerous law enforcement officer robbed homes and workplaces in 11 nations and apprehended numerous people connected to JuicyFields, a firm originally based in Berlin.
JuicyFields had actually guaranteed massive go back to those ready to buy clinical marijuana with its web site. Almost 200,000 individuals did so and ended up being targets of a rip-off. Prosecutors approximate the damages to be around EUR645 million ($ 678 million).
DW’s Cannabis Cowboys podcast
A network of investigatory reporters in numerous European nations has currently even more examined the instance. Their searchings for were released by Danish public broadcaster DR, Swedish paper Svenska Dagbladed, Austrian paper Der Standard, and in Germany by the publication Der Spiegel, on the internet magazineCorrectiv org, and public television terminal ZDF.
New searchings for elevate even more concerns in JuicyFields instance
The brand-new research study shows up to validate the tale as informed by DW. It likewise includes brand-new searchings for that make the JuicyFields legend also complete stranger than it currently was.
Journalist Kevin Shakir from DR, as an example, procured in contact with the guy thought to be the mastermind behind JuicyFields. Sergej B., a Russian nationwide, was apprehended in April 2024 in the Dominican Republic and is readied to be attempted later on in Spain.
According to Shakir’s research study, a network bordering Sergej B. had actually established 2 various other significant scams instances prior to JuicyFields. One included waste recycling, the various other a cryptocurrency. Each time, a great deal of individuals shed a great deal of cash. Shakir informs the tale of Sergej B. in “The Phantom from Russia”
“When you’re able to launch such big projects with that much marketing, when you’re able to disappear again and again from alleged scams, when you’re able to move cryptocurrency in big amounts and sophisticated ways,” Shakir informed DW. “The concern continues to be: is this person [Sergej B.] performing alone or is he component of something larger than himself?
Was the Russian state included?
Gabriela Keller from the investigatory online magazine correctiv.org was interested by the exact same concern. Many specialists on Russia claim frauds on the range of JuicyFields need political security.
Keller stated the examination did not give 100% evidence that the Russian state was included. But a few of her searchings for recommend there goes to the very least a link.
For instance, a Russian participant of JuicyFields’ internal circle, Vitaly M., was signed up in Berlin under the exact same address as the main social consular office of the Russian state, an organization called the Russian House of Science and Culture.
“The fact that he was registered at the Russian House could indicate that he had helpers there,” Keller informed DW. “Because you either need a rental contract or a confirmation by the landlord when you register your address at the registration office.”
The Russian House rejected they had anything to do with Vitaly M. and stated he has to have built documents or offered incorrect info at the residency enrollment workplace.
Back in April, Vitaly M. got away apprehension. He currently resides in Russia, where he appears to run a firm that produces drones, Keller informed DW. “The website currently displays the coat of arms of the Russian Ministry of Defense, along with the slogan: ‘Victory will be ours’.” Keller’s complete record can be discovered here (in German)
A Swedish attorney and his cases
Two investigatory press reporters at Svenska Dagbladet concentrated their examination on a male that was never ever a participant of JuicyFields, however whose name is very closely connected to the instance: Lars Olofsson, a Swedish attorney.
After JuicyFields folded up in the summertime of 2022 and hundreds of financiers were left stranded, Olofsson revealed that he might aid targets obtain their cash back.
Instead of awaiting the fraudsters behind JuicyFields to be founded guilty, Olofsson revealed he would certainly submit course activity legal actions versus all those that made the fraud feasible, consisting of Facebook, where the firm marketed, and financial institutions that handed down financiers’ cash to JuicyFields.
To enter into the course activity matches, ripped off financiers needed to pay a cost toOlofsson Initially, it was EUR100, later on 150. Several thousand individuals joined.
Frida Svensson and Erik Wisterberg have actually placed Lars Olofsson under the microscopic lense– with unexpected outcomes. They inform his tale in a four-part podcast called“The Savior”
“[Olofsson] markets himself as a super lawyer with 15 years of experience investigating international fraud and scams. He claims he’s a former Navy Seal and that he worked in the Swedish military intelligence service,” Wisterberg informed DW. “But nothing of this is true.”
“His real background involves serving time in prison for economic crimes. It also involves this year being put on trial again — which his clients didn’t know about at all,” Wisterberg included.
When will district attorneys submit costs?
The Swedish reporters stated they might show their accusations with records which they had actually faced Olofsson with their searchings for.
DW likewise connected to Olofsson and asked him for remark. He responded however did not resolve any one of the subjects he was inquired about. Instead, he created that reporters might not be relied on and stated he obtained numerous brand-new customers after “The Savior” podcast introduced in Sweden.
In the podcast, Olofsson is represented as a soldier of ton of money intending to benefit from a rip-off. He brought in substantial amounts in sign-up charges from ripped off financiers, while the lawful procedures he launched worrying JuicyFields were turned down by Swedish courts.
Public district attorneys in Berlin, Madrid and somewhere else are presently examining the product seized throughout the raids in April 2024. They are yet to submit costs.
