Aleksej Besciokov, 46, a Lithuanian national wanted by the US Department of Justice for financial fraud, was arrested by Kerala Police in Varkala near Thiruvananthapuram.
His arrest followed a Red Corner Notice issued by Interpol, and he was detained based on a warrant issued by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM), Patiala House Court, at the request of U.S. authorities.
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Thiruvananthapuram Range DIG Ajeetha Begum confirmed that Besciokov had been a frequent visitor to Varkala. When Jojin Raj, a civil police officer with the Tourism Police, knocked on his door, Besciokov allegedly attempted to bribe him with a bundle of cash, which the officer refused. He was arrested shortly after.
Besciokov had been residing in Varkala with his wife, two daughters, and an unidentified individual. His family left India on Monday, and he was scheduled to leave the country on Tuesday before his arrest at a homestay.
In 2023, three Russians, including a woman who had lived with him, were deported from Varkala. However, at that time, investigations did not lead to Besciokov.
Local residents were shocked to learn that a man accused of defrauding hundreds of millions had lived among them for years. Though he occasionally traveled abroad, he kept to himself and spent most of his time at his homestay with his family and Russian associates.
Police had previously raided this homestay two years ago in connection with a drug trade, leading to the deportation of three Russians.
At the time, the deportation notice listed the homestay, called Zoya, as their address, but the investigation did not link Besciokov to any crimes. Only after receiving the Interpol notice did authorities realize the extent of his criminal activities.
Besciokov, who faces multiple charges, including money laundering in the United States, was arrested in a coordinated operation between Kerala Police and the CBI.
Though he is a Lithuanian citizen, he is a permanent resident of Russia. The Varkala police officially recorded his arrest, and he was handed over to the CBI on Saturday. Reports indicate that he is refusing to provide the password to unlock a seized laptop.
Besciokov is one of the co-founders of Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange sanctioned by the U.S. government in 2022. Authorities allege that he played a key role in laundering billions of dollars for transnational criminal and cybercriminal organizations.
On March 7, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment against him, and he is currently listed on the U.S. Secret Service’s Most Wanted list. The indictment also names Aleksandr Mira Serda, a 40-year-old Russian national based in the United Arab Emirates, as a co-founder of Garantex.
Additionally, Besciokov is accused of hacking the servers of 600 major corporate entities worldwide and defrauding them. His most recent fraud targeted water and electricity distribution companies across Europe, North America, and Australia.
