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Lithuanian Crypto Exchange Operator Arrested in India at US Request

Aleksej Besciokov, accused of laundering billions through Garantex, was apprehended in Kerala as international law enforcement dismantled the exchange's operations.

Alexsej Besciokov, 46, a Lithuanian national, was arrested from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.
Aleksej Besciokov (U.S. Secret Service)
This screenshot shows the Garantex website which the US Justice Department, in coordination with Germany and Finland, disrupted and took down. The cryptocurrency exchange website allegedly facilitated money laundering by transnational criminal organizations — including terrorist organizations — and sanctions violations, according to the US Justice Department.
Garantex co-founder Aleksej Besciokov. (Image: U.S. Secret Service)

Overview

  • Aleksej Besciokov, co-founder of the sanctioned cryptocurrency exchange Garantex, was arrested in Kerala, India, while on vacation with his family.
  • The US Department of Justice accuses Besciokov of laundering at least $96 billion in cryptocurrency for transnational criminal organizations, including ransomware groups and terrorist entities.
  • The arrest follows a coordinated international effort involving US, German, and Finnish authorities, which seized Garantex's domains and froze $28 million in assets linked to the exchange.
  • Besciokov faces multiple charges in the US, including conspiracy to commit money laundering, violating sanctions, and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
  • Indian authorities acted under a provisional arrest warrant issued at the request of the US, and extradition proceedings are expected to follow.