Police in India have arrested a cryptocurrency exchange administrator wanted in the US for alleged money laundering and sanctions violations, the country’s top investigative agency said.
Aleksej Besciokov, a 46-year-old Lithuanian citizen who lives in Russia, was arrested from the southern Indian state of Kerala on Tuesday at Washington’s request, according to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The US, Germany, and Finland took down the online infrastructure used by the Russian cryptocurrency exchange Garantex, the US Justice Department said last week, adding that two administrators of the exchange were charged. Garantex was sanctioned by the US in April 2022.
One of those administrators was Mr Besciokov, who was charged with money laundering and also faced accusations of violating sanctions and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, the Justice Department said last week.
The CBI said India’s foreign ministry issued a provisional arrest warrant at Washington’s request. It was unclear when and why Mr Besciokov arrived in India.
The CBI coordinated with the Kerala police to arrest the “fugitive criminal”, the agency said, adding that Mr Besciokov will now be produced in a lower court in Delhi for extradition proceedings.
Mr Besciokov was arrested from the popular tourist destination of Varkala while on a vacation with his family, the Times of India reported.
“I can confirm Aleksej Besciokov, one of the administrators of Garantex, was arrested in India at the request of the United States,” a US Justice Department spokesperson told CNN.
Garantex has been accused of laundering millions of dollars, including proceeds from ransomware groups such as Black Basta, Play and Conti between 2021 and 2024, according to reports. The exchange has processed at least $96bn (£74bn) in cryptocurrency transactions since April 2019, authorities in the US said.
The Justice Department said the proceeds were used to “facilitate several crimes” such as hacking, ransomware, terrorism and drug trafficking. It accused Mr Besciokov and Russian national Aleksandr Mira Serda of knowing that the criminal proceeds were being laundered through Garantex and taking steps to conceal the facilitation of illegal activities.
Mr Besciokov has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.
