At US Request, CBI Arrests Man Wanted In $96 billion Crypto Laundering Case

Photo: US Secret Service.jpg

WASHINGTON, DC – A high-profile international fugitive is now in Indian custody as authorities arrested Lithuanian national Aleksej Besciokov, wanted by the United States for allegedly facilitating large-scale money laundering through a cryptocurrency exchange tied to cybercriminals, drug traffickers, and terrorist networks.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) detained Besciokov in Kerala after the U.S. requested his arrest. His apprehension comes in the wake of the U.S. Justice Department’s indictment, which also named Russian national Aleksandr Mira Serda. Prosecutors allege the duo played key roles in operating Garantex, a cryptocurrency platform accused of handling illicit transactions.

U.S. authorities claim that between 2015 and 2019, Garantex processed a staggering $96 billion, with Besciokov overseeing its technical infrastructure while Mira Serda managed its commercial operations. The exchange was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2022. As part of its crackdown, the U.S. has seized Garantex and frozen $26 million in associated assets.

With his arrest, Besciokov is now at the center of an impending extradition process, as U.S. officials push to bring him before a federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia.