Indian authorities have arrested Aleksej Besciokov, a Lithuanian man wanted by the US for allegedly running a $96 billion cryptocurrency exchange that facilitated money laundering for terrorist organizations, drug traffickers, and cybercriminals. The arrest was made at India’s request to the US.
Besciokov had been living in Russia but it is unclear why he traveled to India. He was one of the administrators of Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in 2022 for allegedly evading sanctions and laundering money. Besciokov’s arrest caps an intense manhunt for him.
The US had seized Garantex, frozen $26 million in assets, and unsealed an indictment against Besciokov and his alleged accomplice, Aleksandr Mira Serda. The exchange processed over $96 billion in transactions between 2015 and 2019. Besciokov’s arrest shows the US is still aggressively pursuing accused criminals with ties to Russia.
The US is expected to pursue Besciokov’s extradition to the US Eastern District of Virginia. This case highlights the effectiveness of law enforcement efforts in disrupting money laundering schemes, particularly those involving cryptocurrency exchanges.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/india-arrests-man-accused-running-214728715.html