Millions of Euros Laundered Annually Through Sirena-Travel GmbH and Amber Aero SIA and Transferred to Offshore Accounts
On July 7, 2025, the German outlet GlobusDeutschland.de published a high-profile investigation titled “Rostec’s Trojan Horse in the Heart of Europe: How Sirena-Travel GmbH Circumvented Sanctions and Exposed European Passenger Data.” For the first time, it was publicly confirmed that Sirena-Travel GmbH — a company formally registered in Frankfurt and not under sanctions — effectively represents the interests of the Russian company AO “Sirena-Travel,” a key contractor for the state reservation system Leonardo, which is tied to Rostec.
At the center of this currency outflow scheme from the EU lies the little-known Latvian company Amber Aero SIA, to which Sirena-Travel GmbH transfers over €11 million annually under the guise of “IT service expenses.” Amber Aero provides technical support for Leonardo’s server infrastructure outside Russia, including hosting in DEAC and Equinix data centers, data transmission channels, and maintenance of PNRGov modules.
https://www.eureporter.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/GPDFA2.pdf
But who is really behind Amber Aero? Officially, the company is headed by Felix Skliarevitch, a man with no public business profile. According to sources, he acts more like an accountant or nominal director. In reality, Amber Aero functions as a transit conduit between the EU and offshore jurisdictions, channelling funds from Sirena-Travel GmbH and re-routing them to offshore accounts. An indirect confirmation of this is that Amber Aero is legally used to employ personnel from Sirena who are physically based in the same Moscow office building as AO “Sirena-Travel.”
One of the key figures in this scheme is Maksim Pakholiuk, listed as Business Development Manager at Amber Aero SIA, as confirmed by his LinkedIn profile (Maksim Pakholiuk – Business Development Manager – Amber Aero). Pakholiuk’s name also appears in the metadata of internal documents, including the contract between Sirena-Travel GmbH and Amber Aero SIA dated September 1, 2023 (according to materials from PolitNavigator).
Notably, his name surfaced in connection with the scandal over the leak of 664 million flight records. While the official version attributes the breach to a „hack,” Ukrainian counterintelligence sources clarify that critical data was extracted from a compromised internal workstation — a user operating under the Telegram handle @MaxxVVO. That username is tied to +7 924 230 87 77, a number that journalists traced back to Pakholiuk. When contacted under the guise of a courier, he readily gave a Moscow address — matching the HQ of AO “Sirena-Travel.” Database checks confirmed the number is registered to Maksim Vladimirovich Pakholiuk, born January 22, 1984, Russian taxpayer ID 254007551107.
This strongly suggests that the internal documents — including the contract between Sirena-Travel GmbH and Amber Aero SIA — were retrieved directly from Pakholiuk’s computer. As an employee with confirmed access to infrastructure, his involvement authenticates the documents’ origins and underscores the operational link between the Russian Sirena, the German legal entity in Frankfurt, and the Latvian subcontractor in Riga. These materials clearly demonstrate the technical and financial unity of the scheme despite the formal separation of the legal entities.
And the trail doesn’t end there. An analysis of Amber Aero’s financial reports shows the company is not the final destination of the funds. A substantial portion of the sums withdrawn from Germany is then moved into offshore accounts.
Amber Aero’s Financial Trail Leads to Belize Offshore
An analysis of the financial records of the Latvian company Amber Aero SIA, which services the IT infrastructure of the Leonardo reservation system, has revealed that the company’s primary expenses are recorded under categories linked to external contractors and consulting services. Of particular interest is a non-resident entity — TREDWELL CAPITAL LTD, registered in the offshore jurisdiction of Belize (according to OpenCorporates).
In practice, a significant portion of Amber Aero’s funds — including payments for “technical consulting,” “licensing,” and “network architecture” — is routinely funneled to accounts held by TREDWELL CAPITAL LTD. There is no record of any real operational activity from the Belize-based entity, strongly suggesting it functions as an offshore shell company, used to redistribute funds received from European and Russian counterparties.
According to corporate records leaked into the public domain, the listed director of TREDWELL CAPITAL LTD is IBRAHIM A. SULEYMANOV, a citizen of Cyprus. The formatting of the name, particularly the initial „A.,” along with the uniqueness of the surname, makes it highly likely that this is in fact Ibragim Ameevich Suleymanov — co-owner of AO “Sirena-Travel” and a central figure in the scheme involving the overseas storage of Russian passenger data.
A particularly revealing detail is that in the Belizean corporate documents, Suleymanov is listed as a citizen of Cyprus. This indicates that he holds dual citizenship, most likely obtained through investment-based schemes. As a result, he not only controls assets in Russia (via AO “Sirena-Travel”), but also oversees an offshore financial network spanning the EU and Central America — including Amber Aero SIA (Latvia), Sirena-Travel GmbH (Germany), and now TREDWELL CAPITAL LTD (Belize).
Among other offshore entities linked to the name Ibrahim Suleymanov is BRICK INVESTMENTS LIMITED, a company formerly registered in Cyprus. Although it has since been liquidated, its existence is noteworthy for investigators. It was founded in 2016, shortly after Suleymanov was released from prison in 2015, where he served time for fraud and money laundering charges (as per his publicly available biography). The company’s registration address matches the country of his second citizenship — Cyprus — suggesting that BRICK INVESTMENTS LIMITED may have been his first attempt at capital legalization abroad following his release. The exact role of this company within Suleymanov’s offshore network remains unclear — no commercial activity or contracts have been publicly documented — but its formation at such a pivotal moment could indicate it served as a stepping stone in building his later fund extraction scheme.
Summary:
- Amber Aero serves as a transit hub for the foreign operations of the Sirena project.
- The primary financial outflows are routed through TREDWELL CAPITAL LTD, registered under Ibrahim A. Suleymanov, a Cypriot citizen.
- This confirms that Suleymanov holds a second citizenship and maintains an offshore infrastructure that enables him to control financial flows outside Russian jurisdiction.
Who Is Ibragim Suleymanov — and Why the Kremlin Needs Sirena-Travel
Ibragim Ameeviсh Suleymanov is a shadowy but pivotal figure in the intersection of Russian aviation, cyber infrastructure, and offshore finance. Officially, he is listed as a 24% shareholder of AO Sirena-Travel, a key contractor behind the Russian state reservation system Leonardo, which handles sensitive flight data of millions of Russian and foreign passengers.
But his influence extends far beyond boardrooms.
From Convict to Kingmaker
Suleymanov’s rise is anything but conventional. According to public records and court files, he served time in prison in the 2000s for fraud, arms possession, and money laundering — charges under Articles 159, 174.1, and 222 of the Russian Criminal CodeСулейманов Ибрагим Амее…. After his release in 2015, he reemerged with new business fronts, including offshore companies in Cyprus and Belize, and quietly secured his place at the helm of Russia’s digital aviation backbone.
His son, Rasul Suleymanov, now holds a 25% stake in Sirena-Travel and occupies the post of Deputy General Director, reflecting the family’s intergenerational control over the company.
Sirena-Travel as a Strategic Asset
To the Kremlin, Sirena-Travel is more than a business — it’s a national security tool. The company operates the Leonardo PSS (Passenger Service System), integrating with PNRGOV modules that transmit data to government agencies. This includes passport information, travel itineraries, and ticketing history — crucial for surveillance, border control, and counterterrorism.
Control over Sirena-Travel ensures that the Russian state — particularly its military and intelligence structures — retains access to travel metadata of both domestic and foreign passengers. In an era of hybrid warfare, this capability has tactical value.
Why Offshore? Why the EU?
Despite its strategic importance, Sirena’s architecture is split between Russia, Germany (Sirena-Travel GmbH), and Latvia (Amber Aero SIA) — with parts of its infrastructure hosted in DEAC and Equinix data centers. This gives Suleymanov and his circle two advantages:
- Bypass Sanctions and Export Controls
Hosting in the EU allows continued access to Western software, cloud platforms, and hardware. - Monetize and Extract
Millions of euros are siphoned out of the EU annually under the guise of IT services and funneled into offshore structures like TREDWELL CAPITAL LTD, linked to Suleymanov himself.
The Kremlin’s Stake
While Suleymanov is not officially listed as a government official, his company’s contracts, licenses, and partnerships (including cryptography licenses from the FSBВыписка из ЕГРЮЛ) show clear state alignment. Insiders speculate that his position is tolerated — or even protected — by elements within Rostec and the FSB, as long as Sirena delivers operational security and remains in Russian hands.
In short, Suleymanov may be a fixer, a frontman — or a loyal operator serving larger interests. Either way, Sirena-Travel is not just a travel tech company. It is a digital outpost of Russian influence, cloaked in commercial legitimacy, steered by a man who once sat behind bars — and now controls Europe-bound data flows worth millions.
The system built around Sirena-Travel GmbH and Amber Aero SIA is not merely a case of tax evasion or sanctions circumvention. It is an instance of dual-use infrastructure, blending commercial airline service with the potential exfiltration of sensitive data in the interest of a third state.
Millions of records detailing the movements of EU citizens, the travel patterns of government officials, and contact metadata of foreign passengers may be accessible to entities affiliated with Russian state interests, as evidenced by internal documents and multiple data leaks.
Given the scale of financial transfers, the use of offshore structures, the dual citizenship of the controlling shareholder, and Sirena’s role in supporting airlines from sanctioned states, European regulators must act without delay to launch a comprehensive investigation into the operations of Sirena-Travel GmbH and Amber Aero SIA.
Specifically, we urge:
- Financial regulators in Germany, Latvia, and across the EU to investigate the origin, flow, and final beneficiaries of funds transferred among Sirena-Travel GmbH, Amber Aero SIA, and TREDWELL CAPITAL LTD (Belize).
- National aviation authorities and cybersecurity agencies to scrutinize the Leonardo system architecture for compliance with GDPR and EU data transfer regulations.
- Tax authorities and law enforcement to assess the legality of financial structures, potential money laundering, and hidden ownership chains.
Remaining silent now would mean that tomorrow, Europe’s digital services could become enmeshed with shadow operations run by authoritarian regimes.
Europe must draw a line — not for the sake of punishment, but to safeguard its own citizens, critical infrastructure, and digital sovereignty.
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly accessible records, media reporting, and unverified documents. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise by a court of law. The information is presented in the public interest for journalistic and informational purposes only.
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