In a joint operation, the CBI and Kerala Police have arrested a 46-year-old Lithuanian national, Aleksej Besciokov, who was wanted by the United States for setting up cryptocurrency exchange Garantex allegedly to launder the proceeds of criminal activities, including ransomware.
“He was arrested when he was allegedly plotting to escape from the country,” officials said.
“On a request submitted by the US, the Ministry of External Affairs, acting under the Extradition Act, 1962, got a provisional arrest warrant issued on March 10, 2025 against the subject from ACJM Patiala House Court in Delhi. The IPCU, CBI coordinated with Kerala Police for the arrest of fugitive criminal Aleksej Besciokov. The subject would be produced before the Patiala House Court by the Kerala Police. He is wanted for trial before the United States District Court for the Eastern District Court of Virginia,” CBI spokesperson said in a statement.
According to the US Secret Service documents, Besciokov was a citizen of Lithuania and resided in Russia. “From around January 2019 to the present, he was an administrator of Garantex. His responsibilities included obtaining and maintaining critical Garantex infrastructure, as well as reviewing and approving transactions,” it said.
“During 2019-25, he allegedly controlled and operated Garantex, which facilitated money laundering to the tune of at least $96 billion in cryptocurrency transactions by transnational criminal organisations (including terrorist organisations) and violated sanctions. Garantex received hundreds of millions in criminal proceeds and was used to facilitate various crimes, including hacking, ransomware, terrorism, and drug trafficking, often with substantial impact to US victims,” it said. It said Besciokov was Garantex’s primary technical administrator.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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