Russia\\\'s central bank withdraws licences from three banks

MOSCOW, Mar 18 (Reuters): Russia's central bank has revoked the licences of three small Moscow-based banks, pressing its crackdown on money laundering and risky operations in the country's banking sector.

The central bank said on Tuesday it had revoked licences from three banks - Russky Zemelny Bank, S-Bank and Bank Stroikredit. It said it had also revoked the licence of ZAO MIGOM, which offered a money transfer service.

Since Elvira Nabiullina, a former economy minister and aide to President Vladimir Putin, became central bank chief in June last year, the bank has stepped up a campaign to clean up the banking sector, whittling down Russia's hundreds of banks.

It said in a statement that Russky Zemelny Bank, which offered credit to small and medium business as well as providing mortgages, had breached laws against money laundering and on financing "terrorism".