THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Lithuanian national wanted by the US department of justice (DOJ) was arrested by Varkala Police on charges of financial fraud committed in the US.
Aleksej Besciokov, 46, co-founder of Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange sanctioned by US govt in 2022, was arrested from Varkala while on vacation with his family on Tuesday evening.
According to police, Besciokov facilitated billions of dollars in money laundering by transnational criminal and cybercriminal organisations. On March 7, US DOJ unsealed an indictment against Besciokov and another alleged co-founder of Garantex, Aleksandr Mira Serda, 40, a Russian national living in the UAE.
B Gopakumar, Varkala DSP, confirmed to TOI that Varkala Police received a direction from the additional chief judicial magistrate of Patiala House court in New Delhi to apprehend him. "We were instructed to take him to the Patiala House court, where the extradition proceedings will be undertaken. So we traced the accused and took him into custody. There was a red corner notice from Interpol to arrest him. As per procedure, he will be remanded here for two days and then transferred to Patiala House court in Delhi by train on Thursday for further interrogation and investigation proceedings. Later, he will be extradited to the US," Gopakumar said.
Mira Serda and Besciokov have been charged with money laundering conspiracy. Besciokov is charged with conspiracy to violate sanctions and conspiracy to operate an unlicenced money transmitting business.
Between 2019 and 2025, Besciokov and Mira Serda controlled and operated Garantex, sources said. Besciokov was Garantex's primary technical administrator and responsible for obtaining and maintaining critical Garantex infrastructure as well as reviewing and approving transactions. Garantex received billions of dollars in criminal proceeds and used it to facilitate various crimes, including hacking, ransomware, terrorism and drug trafficking, often with substantial impact on US victims.
Meanwhile, CBI spokesperson said in a statement, "On a request submitted by the USA, the ministry of external affairs, acting under the Extradition Act, 1962, got 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. The subject would be produced before the Patiala House court by the Kerala Police."
(With agency inputs)
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