Since 2014, French justice has been cracking down on money laundering through tax havens, shifting the burden of proof to those implicated in opaque financial arrangements. Recent investigations targeted two Russian businessmen with luxury properties on the French Riviera, acquired through loans from companies in tax havens. Gendarmes, assisted by financial magistrates, seized assets including a 22.5-hectare estate and luxury cars belonging to Ruslan Goryukhin and Mikhail Opengeym, both holding Cypriot passports.
Cypriot passports
Goryukhin has ties to Russian energy companies, notably leading a company owned by oligarch Arkady Rotenberg. Opengeym, described as a businessman investing in gas drilling and transport, remained silent on the accusations. The investigation underscores the growing scrutiny on individuals using tax havens for illicit financial activities.