India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently arrested Aleksej Besciokov, a Lithuanian citizen residing in Russia, facing allegations of aiding cybercriminals in money laundering and breaching US sanctions through his role at Garantex, a Russian cryptocurrency exchange.
India Targets Crypto Administrator Linked to US Sanctions Violation
India Targets Crypto Administrator Linked to US Sanctions Violation
Authorities in India apprehend a cryptocurrency exchange operator with ties to Russian cybercriminals, as requested by the US.
In a significant enforcement move, Indian authorities detained Aleksej Besciokov, a cryptocurrency exchange administrator involved with Garantex, on allegations from the United States of aiding in cybercrime and sanctions evasion. Besciokov, originally from Lithuania and currently residing in Russia, was apprehended in Kerala after the US Justice Department issued an indictment against him. His role at Garantex involved overseeing transactions that reportedly included a staggering $96 billion in cryptocurrency since 2019, with claims that the exchange processed illicit funds linked to various crimes, including ransomware attacks and drug trafficking.
The CBI acted on a provisional arrest warrant from US authorities, but details surrounding Besciokov's presence in India remain unclear. Garantex was previously sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in 2022, leading the exchange's operators to redesign its operations in an attempt to bypass these restrictions. Besciokov is currently in custody while awaiting legal proceedings in Delhi, which will determine his potential extradition to the United States. This operation was part of a broader coordinated effort by US officials, alongside Germany and Finland, to dismantle Garantex's online infrastructure.
