In a dramatic turn of events, the Kerala police arrested Lithuanian national Aleksej Besciokov, a high-profile crypto kingpin wanted by the United States, from a homestay in Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram. Besciokov, who was vacationing with his family, was apprehended on Tuesday night in a coordinated operation with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Besciokov allegedly operated Garantex, a cryptocurrency platform that facilitated over $96 billion in money laundering for transnational criminal organizations, including terrorist groups, from 2019 to 2025, according to US Secret Service documents. Acting on a provisional arrest warrant issued by the ACJM Patiala House Court in Delhi, a team from Varkala police station located Besciokov after a thorough search.
Despite attempts to resist arrest and even offering bribes, Besciokov was unable to evade the police. DIG S. Ajeetha Begum stated that Besciokov was not expecting local police to track him down. He had been staying in Varkala since February with his wife and two daughters, making this his first visit to the coastal town.
Besciokov was produced before a local court and remanded to Thiruvananthapuram sub-jail. He will soon be handed over to the CBI, which will facilitate his extradition to the US. Besciokov faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering and violating the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, with potential sentences totaling up to 45 years in prison.
The US Secret Service has already seized three domain names linked to Garantex and frozen over $26 million in funds to prevent further criminal activities. This arrest marks a significant achievement for the Kerala police, who rarely handle extradition cases of this magnitude.
