In April 2024, quite a few legislation enforcement officer robbed houses and workplaces in 11 nations and apprehended quite a few folks linked to JuicyFields, a agency initially primarily based in Berlin.
JuicyFields had truly assured huge return to these prepared to purchase scientific marijuana with its site. Almost 200,000 people did so and ended up being targets of a rip-off. Prosecutors approximate the damages to be round EUR645 million ($ 678 million).
DW’s Cannabis Cowboys podcast
A community of investigatory reporters in quite a few European nations has presently much more examined the occasion. Their searchings for have been launched by Danish public broadcaster DR, Swedish paper Svenska Dagbladed, Austrian paper Der Standard, and in Germany by the publication Der Spiegel, on the web magazineCorrectiv org, and public tv terminal ZDF.
New searchings for elevate much more considerations in JuicyFields occasion
The brand-new analysis research reveals as much as validate the story as knowledgeable by DW. It likewise consists of brand-new searchings for that make the JuicyFields legend additionally full stranger than it presently was.
Journalist Kevin Shakir from DR, for example, procured involved with the man regarded as the mastermind behind JuicyFields. Sergej B., a Russian nationwide, was apprehended in April 2024 within the Dominican Republic and is readied to be tried afterward in Spain.
According to Shakir’s analysis research, a community bordering Sergej B. had truly established 2 numerous different important scams situations previous to JuicyFields. One included waste recycling, the varied different a cryptocurrency. Each time, an excessive amount of people shed an excessive amount of money. Shakir informs the story 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 knowledgeable DW. “The concern continues to be: is that this individual [Sergej B.] performing alone or is he part of one thing bigger than himself?
Was the Russian state included?
Gabriela Keller from the investigatory on-line journal correctiv.org was inquisitive about the very same concern. Many specialists on Russia declare frauds on the vary of JuicyFields want political safety.
Keller said the examination didn’t give 100% proof that the Russian state was included. But a number of of her searchings for advocate there goes to the very least a hyperlink.
For occasion, a Russian participant of JuicyFields’ inner circle, Vitaly M., was signed up in Berlin beneath the very same tackle as the principle social consular workplace of the Russian state, a corporation known as 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 knowledgeable 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 that they had something to do with Vitaly M. and said he has to have constructed paperwork or provided incorrect data on the residency enrollment office.
Back in April, Vitaly M. acquired away apprehension. He presently resides in Russia, the place he seems to run a agency that produces drones, Keller knowledgeable 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 full report might be found here (in German)
A Swedish legal professional and his instances
Two investigatory press reporters at Svenska Dagbladet concentrated their examination on a male that was by no means ever a participant of JuicyFields, nonetheless whose identify could be very carefully linked to the occasion: Lars Olofsson, a Swedish legal professional.
After JuicyFields folded up within the summertime of 2022 and lots of of financiers have been left stranded, Olofsson revealed that he would possibly assist targets get hold of their money again.
Instead of awaiting the fraudsters behind JuicyFields to be based responsible, Olofsson revealed he will surely submit course exercise authorized actions versus all people who made the fraud possible, consisting of Facebook, the place the agency marketed, and monetary establishments that handed down financiers’ money to JuicyFields.
To enter into the course exercise matches, ripped off financiers wanted to pay a price toOlofsson Initially, it was EUR100, afterward 150. Several thousand people joined.
Frida Svensson and Erik Wisterberg have truly positioned Lars Olofsson beneath the microscopic lense– with surprising outcomes. They inform his story in a four-part podcast known as“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 knowledgeable 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 prices?
The Swedish reporters said they may present their accusations with data which that they had truly confronted Olofsson with their searchings for.
DW likewise linked to Olofsson and requested him for comment. He responded nonetheless didn’t resolve any one of many topics he was inquired about. Instead, he created that reporters may not be relied on and said he obtained quite a few brand-new clients after “The Savior” podcast launched in Sweden.
In the podcast, Olofsson is represented as a soldier of ton of cash intending to learn from a rip-off. He introduced in substantial quantities in sign-up costs from ripped off financiers, whereas the lawful procedures he launched worrying JuicyFields have been turned down by Swedish courts.
Public district attorneys in Berlin, Madrid and some other place are presently inspecting the product seized all through the raids in April 2024. They are but to submit prices.
