Indian authorities arrested Aleksej Besciokov, a Lithuania-born administrator of the Russian cryptocurrency exchange Garantex, at the request of the U.S. for alleged money laundering and sanctions violations. Besciokov is currently in custody in Kerala, with pending extradition to the U.S. The indictment reveals Garantex’s significant involvement in facilitating cybercrime.
India has apprehended a cryptocurrency exchange administrator sought by the United States for purportedly facilitating cybercriminal activities such as money laundering and violating sanctions. Aleksej Besciokov, a Lithuanian citizen residing in Russia, was detained in Kerala, according to India’s central investigative agency. The U.S. Justice Department identifies him as a key administrator of Garantex, a Russian exchange involved in illicit transactions.
Currently in custody, Besciokov has not issued a public statement, and Garantex has not responded to inquiries regarding the matter. The U.S. DOJ’s indictment specifies that he resided in Russia, but the circumstances of his arrival in India remain unclear. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) confirmed that they acted on a provisional arrest warrant from the U.S. government, and Besciokov will be presented in a Delhi court.
There is uncertainty surrounding the timing of his extradition to the United States. The DOJ revealed that the U.S., alongside German and Finnish authorities, dismantled Garantex’s online operations last week, which had facilitated approximately $96 billion in cryptocurrency trades since 2019. This exchange allegedly funneled hundreds of millions from criminal activities, contributing to hacking, ransomware incidents, terrorism, and drug trafficking.
Alongside money laundering charges, the DOJ has accused Besciokov of sanction violations and operating an unlicensed money transmission service. In 2022, Garantex was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department. In response, Besciokov and other administrators allegedly modified their operations to evade these sanctions and lure American businesses into collaborations.
In summary, the arrest of Aleksej Besciokov highlights the ongoing global efforts to combat cryptocurrency-linked crime. His role in the Garantex exchange, as reported by U.S. authorities, encompasses serious allegations from money laundering to sanction violations. The situation invites further scrutiny on the operations of cryptocurrency exchanges and their regulatory compliance, particularly in the wake of international law enforcement collaborations.
Original Source: www.bbc.com
