India arrests US-wanted Lithuanian accused of running $96 billion crypto exchange
This photo from the US Secret Service shows Aleksej Besciokov who allegedly ran a $96 billion cryptocurrency exchange that allowed terrorist organizations, drug traffickers and cybercriminals to launder money.
Indian authorities have apprehended Lithuanian national Aleksej Besciokov, who is wanted by the United States for allegedly operating a $96 billion cryptocurrency exchange that enabled terrorist groups, drug traffickers, and cybercriminals to launder money.
The arrest caps an intense US-led manhunt for Aleksej Besciokov, that escalated last week with the seizure of the crypto exchange, the freezing of $26 million in assets and the unsealing of an indictment against Besciokov and an alleged accomplice, News.Az reports, citing CNN.
The US is expected to pursue Besciokov’s extradition to the US Eastern District of Virginia in what would be a big win in the yearslong battle against money laundering services that allegedly fuel global crime and terrorism.
The arrest shows that while the Trump administration has eased up pressure on Russia in some areas, such as offensive cyber operations, the Justice Department is still aggressively pursuing accused criminals with a connection to Russia.
Besciokov had been living in Russia, according to the Justice Department. It is unclear why Besciokov traveled to India.
Police in the southwest Indian state of Kerala arrested Besciokov this week, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation said in a statement that referred to Besciokov as a “fugitive.”
“I can confirm Aleksej Besciokov, one of the administrators of Garantex, was arrested in India at the request of the United States,” US Justice Department spokesperson Nicole Navas Oxman told CNN in an email. She declined to comment further.
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