Four individuals have been detained and criminal prosecution initiated against one more in several fraud-related criminal cases underway at the Anti-Fraud Division of the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia, the agency announced at a briefing.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the actions of the defendants caused an estimated 3 million GEL in damages to citizens.

“The investigation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs established that, in 2024–2025, representatives of the tourism company Smile Travel Georgia collected large sums of money from citizens under the promise of organizing trips abroad and fraudulently misappropriated approximately 1 million GEL from about 200 victims without fulfilling their obligations.

The investigation is ongoing to identify additional victims, and the number of affected individuals — as well as the total misappropriated sum — is expected to increase.

The Anti-Fraud Department, together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, has also uncovered another fraud scheme involving the unlawful acquisition of a 100% ownership stake in a legal entity. According to investigators, the defendant promised the owners of Zekari Springs to resolve the company’s financial problems in exchange for their shares. To build trust, he partially covered a bank debt using funds fraudulently obtained from another victim. After receiving the shares, the defendant transferred them to a family member, failed to meet financial obligations, and misappropriated the full value of the company. The company’s owners suffered more than 1.5 million GEL in damages, while another victim lost approximately 163,000 GEL.

In a separate case, investigators determined that the accused signed a fictitious contract ‘on performing construction works’ and received 123,134 GEL from the victim for specific works that were never carried out. The funds were unlawfully appropriated.

The detained individuals have been charged under Parts 2 and 3 of Article 180 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which carries a sentence of up to 9 years in prison. At the request of the Prosecutor’s Office, the court imposed imprisonment as a preventive measure,” the Prosecutor’s Office stated.

The Prosecutor’s Office reminded the public that a Department for Procedural Management of Fraud Criminal Cases has been established within the Tbilisi Prosecutor’s Office. This unit ensures procedural oversight of the Anti-Fraud Division of the Tbilisi Police Department and supports state prosecution in relevant cases.

The agency underlined that combating fraud remains one of its key priorities and that a strict criminal policy will continue to be applied in order to protect the rights and lawful interests of victims.