India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Lithuanian national and Russian resident Aleksej Besciokov for allegedly using the cryptocurrency exchange Garantex to launder criminal proceeds. 

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The arrest was made by the CBI and the Kerala police at the US request. 

The officials called him a "fugitive", saying that he was attempting to flee the country at the time of his arrest. 

“On a request submitted by the USA, the Ministry of External Affairs, acting under the Extradition Act, 1962, issued a provisional arrest warrant 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,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.

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Besciokov is wanted for trial in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. 

Who is Alexsej Besciokov?

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Alexsej Besciokov, a 46-year-old Lithuanian national, was on vacation with his family, when he was arrested by Varkala police on Tuesday evening. Moreover, he is a Russian resident. 

Besciokov is also the co-founder of Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange sanctioned by the US government in 2022. 

In an indictment against Besciokov, the US Department of Justice revealed that he is currently on the US Secret Service's Most Wanted list.

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Notably, Aleksandr Mira Serda (40), a Russian national living in the United Arab Emirates, has also been named in the indictment. Serda is the co-founder of Garantex. 

According to the Justice Department, Garantex has handled at least USD 96 billion in cryptocurrency transactions since April 2019. 

Between 2019 and 2025, Besciokov allegedly “controlled and operated” Garantex, enabling the laundering of at least $96 billion in cryptocurrency for transnational criminal groups, including terrorist organisations, and violating sanctions, as per US Secret Service documents, according to Reuters.

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Last week, the US Justice Department announced charges against two administrators of the exchange.

(With inputs from agencies)