Founder of GARANTEX ALEKSA BESCIKOV WANTED in the USA for $ 96 billion of cryptocurrency

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Police in Kerala arrested the Lithuanian citizen sought after by the United States for allegedly conducting the exchange of cryptocurrencies Garaantex to wash illegal funds, they gave on Wednesday.

Alexea Besciokov was detained, allegedly planning to escape from India. According to documents from American secret service, he was controlled and conducted by Garaantex in 2019–2025, facilitating cryptocurrency transactions in the amount of at least USD 96 billion, associated with transnational criminal organizations, including terrorist groups.

“Garaantex received hundreds of millions of criminal income and was used to facilitate crimes such as hacking, ransomware software, terrorism and drug trafficking, often affecting American victims,” ​​they said.

Besciokov, the main technical administrator of the Platform, allegedly supervised the infrastructure, reviewed the transaction and ensured its continuation, despite the violation of the US sanctions.

In the face of many fees in the USA, including a conspiracy aimed at committing money laundering (maximum 20-year judgment), a conspiracy aimed at violating the International Act on economic powers (maximum judgment of 20 years), a conspiracy aimed at conducting unlimited money transfer activities (5-year maximum judgment).

The Ministry of External Affairs, acting on the basis of the US application on the basis of the Act on extradition of 1962, obtained a temporary arrest order from the court in Delhi on March 10. The coordination unit of Interpol CBI (IPCU) coordinated with the Kerala police to arrest Besciokova, and will be presented before the Patiala House House in Delhi.

Meanwhile, the American secret service took three domain names used to handle the GARANTEX operations on March 6, according to the order of the judge in Virginia. The US authorities also froze $ 26 million in funds as part of their activities against exchange.

Besciokov is wanted at the trial before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.