US and European law enforcement agencies disrupted Garantex, a Russia-linked crypto exchange accused of laundering billions of dollars for cybercriminals, drug traffickers, and sanctioned entities, the Justice Department announced Friday.

As part of a coordinated operation with Germany and Finland, US authorities seized multiple domains associated with Garantex and froze over $26 million in assets linked to illicit transactions. Law enforcement in Germany and Finland also took control of servers supporting the platform’s operations.

The crackdown coincided with the unsealing of an indictment in the Eastern District of Virginia against Aleksej Besciokov, a Lithuanian national residing in Russia, and Aleksandr Mira Serda,a Russian national based in the UAE.

Prosecutors charged both with conspiracy to commit money laundering, while Besciokov faces additional charges of violating U.S. sanctions and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business.

Illicit transactions

Authorities alleged that Garantex processed at least $96 billion in crypto transactions since its inception in April 2019, facilitating a broad spectrum of crimes, including ransomware payments, darknet drug sales, and financial transactions tied to terrorist organizations.

Besciokov, identified as Garantex’s primary technical administrator, allegedly managed the platform’s infrastructure and approved transactions, while Mira Serda, a co-founder and chief commercial officer, oversaw its business operations.

Prosecutors said the defendants knowingly concealed illegal activities on the exchange, obstructed Russian law enforcement inquiries, and continued processing transactions for US-based entities despite being sanctioned by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in April 2022.

To evade sanctions, Garantex allegedly moved its crypto holdings between wallets daily, making it difficult for compliance teams at major exchanges to block transactions.

US Attorney Erik S. Siebert of the Eastern District of Virginia said:

“Garantex was a haven for criminals seeking to launder illicit funds through crypto, and this takedown demonstrates our global commitment to dismantling such networks.”

The exchange, which continued operating after OFAC’s designation, never registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) as required for money service businesses in the US.

Operations seized

On March 6, the US Secret Service, with a court order, seized three Garantex-related domains — Garantex.org, Garantex.io, and Garantex.academy — redirecting visitors to a law enforcement notice stating the sites had been taken down.

If convicted, Besciokov and Mira Serda each face up to 20 years in prison for money laundering conspiracy. Besciokov could face an additional 25 years for sanctions violations and running an unlicensed money-transmitting business.

The FBI and the US Secret Service led the investigation, with assistance from Europol and law enforcement agencies in Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, and Estonia. Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic and stablecoin issuer Tether also played a role in identifying illicit transactions linked to Garantex.

The charges against Besciokov and Mira Serda remain allegations, and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

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