Aleksej Besciokov, co-founder of the Russian cryptocurrency exchange Garantex, sanctioned by the US and EU for facilitating money laundering, has been arrested in India.
Circumstances of the Arrest
Aleksej Besciokov, a Lithuanian national, was detained in Varkala, Kerala, under India's extradition law. The arrest occurred at 4 p.m. local time on Tuesday following a warrant issued by the Patiala House Court in New Delhi. Besciokov is expected to be transferred to the court on March 14.
Charges and Sanctions
Besciokov's arrest follows days after the US Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging him and another alleged Garantex co-founder, Aleksandr Mira Serda, with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Besciokov also faces charges for violating US sanctions and operating an unlicensed money transmission business. Each charge carries a maximum 20-year sentence, with an additional five years for the unlicensed business.
International Operation Against Garantex
The Garantex co-founder, known by the hacker alias 'proforg,' allegedly oversaw the exchange's technical infrastructure and approved transactions linked to North Korean cybercriminals and Russian elites evading sanctions. As part of a coordinated international operation, US, German, and Finnish authorities seized servers hosting Garantex's operations, while the US Secret Service froze over $26 million associated with the exchange. Law enforcement also obtained copies of Garantex's customer and accounting databases.
Besciokov's arrest is part of international efforts to clamp down on Garantex's illicit activities. The US government is expected to pursue his extradition to face charges in the Eastern District of Virginia.
