Ex-cop from the "fashion crowd" and the "Khimprom" drug syndicate: how Artem Gradopoltsev laundered millions for an international organized crime group
The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has filed a motion for the in absentia arrest of Artem Gradopoltsev, one of the leaders of the major international drug cartel Khimprom. In Russia, he is accused of creating a network of fraudulent call centers.
Gradopoltsev was charged in absentia with participating in a criminal organization (Article 210 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and large-scale fraud (Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
According to investigators, three call centers operated in Moscow that convinced citizens to invest in cryptocurrency or trading platforms and then stole their funds.
The Main Investigative Directorate of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Moscow believes the call centers were run by Sterlitamak natives Yegor Burkin and Artem Gradopoltsev. The latter two are better known as the organizers of the Khimprom drug syndicate, which sold synthetic drugs, known as "salts," on a massive scale.
In December 2024, operatives busted call centers in Moscow. In April 2026, Burkin, Muscovite Alexander Sheremetyev, and Egyptian citizen Ahmed Awad (Adam) were arrested in absentia. Now it’s Gradopoltsev’s turn.
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According to our project, Sheremetyev is a particularly interesting character. He worked in the criminal investigation department of the Moscow Main Directorate of Internal Affairs, then transferred to the Economic Crimes Department, where he was tasked with combating money laundering. But he ended up doing just that. Sheremetyev quickly became a prominent figure in the cashing-out and international money-laundering market. He was also well-known in the fashion scene, regularly spending time with Russian national football team players, famous models, and singers. Then he had a conflict with his business partner, Maga. $5 million was unpaid to clients, and Maga pinned the money on Sheremetyev. When Maga’s gunmen burned several luxury cars belonging to the former Interior Ministry employee, he left Russia. And, apparently, he joined the then-newly formed Khimprom.
