{"id":19104,"date":"2025-03-13T19:15:42","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T19:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cryptd.in\/crypto-exchange-garantex-co-founder-arrested-in-india-over-extradition-request\/"},"modified":"2025-03-13T19:15:42","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T19:15:42","slug":"crypto-exchange-garantex-co-founder-arrested-in-india-over-extradition-request","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cryptd.in\/de\/crypto-exchange-garantex-co-founder-arrested-in-india-over-extradition-request\/","title":{"rendered":"Crypto Exchange Garantex Co-Founder Arrested In India Over Extradition Request"},"content":{"rendered":"

Authorities in India have apprehended Aleksej Besciokov, the alleged co-founder of Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange reportedly implicated in \u201cextensive money laundering activities<\/a> (MLA).\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

$60 Billion In Transactions Linked To Criminal Activity<\/h2>\n

Besciokov, a 46-year-old Lithuanian national, was reportedly <\/a>arrested while vacationing with his family in Varkala, a coastal city in the Indian state of Kerala. His arrest comes after an indictment unsealed by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) on March 7.<\/p>\n

The DOJ\u2019s indictment <\/a>charges Besciokov and his co-founder, 40-year-old Aleksandr Mira Serda, a Russian national residing in the United Arab Emirates, with conspiracy to commit money laundering.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Garantex, which launched in 2019, was sanctioned by the US Treasury\u2019s Office of Foreign Assets Control in April 2022 for its role in facilitating the movement of criminal proceeds.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Reports indicate that the exchange has processed over $60 billion since sanctions were imposed, raising significant concerns regarding its operations.<\/p>\n

According to the blockchain analysis firm Elliptic, Garantex has been involved in various forms of unlawful activity, including facilitating ransomware attacks<\/a>, drug trafficking, and evading sanctions imposed on Russian elites.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The firm noted that the exchange has enabled Russian oligarchs to transfer their wealth abroad, particularly following the invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n

DOJ Alleges Garantex Co-Founder Operated Under Hacker Alias \u201cProforg\u201d<\/h2>\n

The US Department of Justice also alleges that Besciokov served as Garantex\u2019s primary technical administrator, responsible for maintaining critical infrastructure and approving transactions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In conjunction with the indictment, German and Finnish law enforcement agencies seized servers that hosted Garantex\u2019s operations, and US authorities have frozen over $26 million linked to the exchange\u2019s money laundering activities.<\/p>\n

In a notable twist, Besciokov is said to have operated under the hacker handle \u201cproforg,\u201d a nickname associated with a long-running Russian-language forum <\/a>known for its explicit content.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The charges against him include conspiracy to violate the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, which could lead to an additional five years of imprisonment.<\/p>\n

Besciokov is scheduled to appear in a Delhi court on March 14, where he will face these serious charges. If found guilty <\/a>of any offenses alleged, he will forfeit to the United States any property\u2014whether real or personal\u2014that was involved in the commission of the offense or any property traceable to such assets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Furthermore, if convicted of the offense detailed in Count II of the indictment, Besciokov will also forfeit any property that constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to the offense.<\/p>\n

\"Garantex\"<\/p>\n

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Authorities in India have apprehended Aleksej Besciokov, the alleged co-founder of Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange reportedly implicated in \u201cextensive money laundering activities (MLA).\u201d\u00a0 $60 Billion In Transactions Linked To Criminal Activity Besciokov, a 46-year-old Lithuanian national, was reportedly arrested while vacationing with his family in Varkala, a coastal city in the Indian state of Kerala. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feeds"],"yoast_head":"\nCrypto Exchange Garantex Co-Founder Arrested In India Over Extradition Request - cryptd.in<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cryptd.in\/de\/crypto-exchange-garantex-co-founder-arrested-in-india-over-extradition-request\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"de_DE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Crypto Exchange Garantex Co-Founder Arrested In India Over Extradition Request - cryptd.in\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Authorities in India have apprehended Aleksej Besciokov, the alleged co-founder of Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange reportedly implicated in \u201cextensive money laundering activities (MLA).\u201d\u00a0 $60 Billion In Transactions Linked To Criminal Activity Besciokov, a 46-year-old Lithuanian national, was reportedly arrested while vacationing with his family in Varkala, a coastal city in the Indian state of Kerala. 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