Who Is Alexsej Besciokov, US Wanted Criminal Arrested In Kerala?

Alexsej Besciokov, a Lithuanian national wanted in the United States, was arrested by Kerala police while on vacation with his family, the Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI) confirmed on Wednesday. The 46-year-old was taken into custody by Varkala police on Tuesday evening as he allegedly planned to flee India. However, authorities have not yet clarified the purpose of his visit to the country.

Who is Alexsej Besciokov?

At the request of Washington, India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a provisional arrest warrant against Besciokov, the CBI statement added.

Besciokov, a Lithuanian national residing in Russia, is the co-founder of Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange that was sanctioned by the US government in 2022.

According to law enforcement officials, Besciokov played a significant role in facilitating billions of dollars in money laundering for transnational criminal and cybercriminal organizations. On March 7, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) unsealed an indictment against him. He is currently listed on the US Secret Service’s Most Wanted list.

The indictment also names Aleksandr Mira Serda, a 40-year-old Russian national living in the United Arab Emirates. Serda, who co-founded Garantex alongside Besciokov, is also accused of similar charges.

Charges Against Alexsej Besciokov

Besciokov faces multiple charges, including money laundering, conspiracy to violate sanctions, and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business.

The CBI statement highlighted that Besciokov profited from laundering proceeds linked to ransomware attacks, computer hacking, and narcotics transactions. Between 2021 and 2024, Garantex allegedly laundered millions of dollars in ransomware proceeds, including funds tied to the Black Basta, Play, and Conti ransomware groups.

The US Justice Department recently reported that since April 2019, Garantex has processed at least $96 billion in cryptocurrency transactions.

Crackdown on Garantex

In a coordinated international operation last week, law enforcement agencies from the US, Germany, and Finland seized Garantex’s domains and servers, freezing nearly $28 million in cryptocurrency linked to the exchange.

Authorities allege that Garantex has facilitated illicit financial activities, including laundering money for criminal groups such as North Korea’s notorious hacking outfit, the Lazarus Group. The exchange is also accused of evading international sanctions.

Blockchain research firm TRM Labs, in a recent blog post, described the crackdown on Garantex as “a major milestone in the fight against illicit finance.” However, the firm also warned that sanctioned exchanges often attempt to circumvent restrictions by establishing new entities.

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