In a coordinated effort with the International Police Cooperation Unit of the CBI, Kerala Police arrested Aleksej Besciokov, a Lithuanian national wanted by U.S. authorities. Besciokov faces charges including conspiracy to commit money laundering, violating the U.S. International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and operating an unlicensed money services business. He is alleged to have operated ‘Garantex’, a cryptocurrency exchange involved in laundering proceeds from criminal activities such as ransomware attacks and narcotics transactions between 2021 and 2024. The arrest was made in Thiruvananthapuram as Besciokov was attempting to flee the country. He will be produced before the Patiala House Court in Delhi for further proceedings.
