From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

14 мая 2026 г.

Kseniya Zhukova

40-year-old Serazhudin Aktulaev, whose extradition to the US was recently approved by a Cypriot court, is connected to several high-ranking Chechen officials and was involved in supplying equipment to Russia in defiance of sanctions and trading in petroleum products.

In the US, he is accused of cyber fraud.

From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

Aktulaev, a native of Grozny, was registered as an individual entrepreneur in Chechnya until the end of 2024 (running a restaurant), regularly traveled to Moscow, and after the war began, frequently flew to Turkey and the UAE. Aktulaev has a very wide circle of acquaintances, including people connected to major oil and gas companies among his friends and business partners. In the phones of his acquaintances, Serazhudin Aktulaev was listed as "Seradzhi Mayoriya."

From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

Aktulaev does indeed have friends among Chechen officials. His social media friend is Khamzat Shabazov, an employee of Chechen Deputy Prime Minister (Minister of Economic Development), Rustam Shaptukaev.

Furthermore, Aktulaev has flown from Grozny to Moscow several times with Muslim Adiyev, a former football player and brother of football coach Magomed Adiyev, who coached the Kazakhstan national team and Grozny’s Akhmat. After retiring from football, Muslim Adiyev became a government official and from February 2017 to July 2024, he headed the State Public Institution "Department for Support of the Activities of the State Procurement Committee of the Chechen Republic" in Chechnya.

From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

Furthermore, Serazhudin Aktulaev flew from Moscow to Rostov-on-Don with Akhmed Mushtargaev. In 2023-2024, Mushtargaev was listed as the founder of a large company, MASTER BARING LLC. Since 2022, its revenue has grown sharply, from 44 million rubles to 4.3 billion.

From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

This company imports industrial solutions to Russia and provides engineering and foreign trade services. The company’s website states that it has offices in Turkey, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Poland, Hong Kong, the UAE, and the Seychelles.

Even during the war, the company launched oversized cargo logistics and reverse engineering—that is, copying and manufacturing sanctioned Western equipment. Furthermore, Master Barring has issued several hundred declarations and certificates of conformity for imported products, including from manufacturers in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, and other countries. Judging by the foreign trade codes, some of the goods were imported in circumvention of sanctions—including machine tools, oil and gas equipment, American Caterpillar bulldozers, and other equipment.

From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

The company’s founders regularly change; it is currently registered to Artem Konyukhovsky and Ramil Shavaleev, the son of Damir Shavaleev, a former top manager at Sibur and former CEO of Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat. Judging by the shared top managers and phone numbers, the same group includes six other companies: CMTO1, MFVS, RAD RESURS, PROMKOMPLEKT, PROMYSHLENNYE RESHENIYA, and SHAVKON. CMTO1 is the official distributor of Russian lubricants and an importer of oils from the EU. Along with synthetic oils, the company imports imported equipment to Russia, such as forklifts from Italy. The company itself advertises online as a supplier of equipment and spare parts from the EU and the US. Akhmed Mushtargaev, an acquaintance of Serazhudin Aktulaev, was also among the founders of CMTO1 in 2023-2024.

From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

From cyber fraud in Cyprus to a U.S. federal prison: how Serazhudin Aktulayev became a “gray” importer of sanctioned goods into Russia

Currently, part of this group, through RIA Company LLC, is controlled by Bashkir billionaire Radik Sultanov, the main owner of the Ufanet telecom operator and major glass companies in Bashkortostan and Dagestan.