Thiruvananthapuram: It was a Facebook post created by Yuliya, the wife of Aleksej Besciokov, which ultimately led to the arrest of the Lithuanian national, who had been wanted by Interpol and the US Secret Service for years.

In the photo shared with the post, Yuliya had tagged a friend, which caught Interpol's attention. Acting swiftly, the agency alerted the US Secret Service, which then coordinated with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to issue a warrant. Following this, Kerala Police immediately arrested Alexsej.

Aleksejis wanted by various international investigation agencies for allegedly using the cryptocurrency exchange Garantex to launder illicit funds. Between 2019 and 2025, he is believed to have controlled and operated Garantex, facilitating the laundering of at least $96 billion in cryptocurrency for transnational criminal networks, including terrorist organisations.

To evade surveillance from global investigative agencies, Aleksejhad adhered to a strict "zero-contact" strategy for years. This meant avoiding any interactions with people who were not already known to him. During his visits to Varkala, Aleksejeven refused to hire workers to cut the overgrown grass on his property, opting instead to do the work himself to avoid detection.

Not a low-wage worker, but a key member
During an interrogation by the police, Aleksejclaimed that he had merely been a daily wage worker at Garantex owned by Russian national Aleksandr Mira Serda, earning just $20 a day. However, details provided by Interpol completely contradicted his claims.

According to Interpol’s report, Aleksejwas, in fact, a key administrative head of Garantex. He used to modify his Bitcoin transaction IDs on a daily basis, ensuring untraceable fund movements. When criminal syndicates including drug cartels conducted cryptocurrency transactions through Garantex, it was Aleksejwho facilitated the conversion of illicit funds into deposits.

The CBI and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) have now launched an investigation into Alexsej’s financial activities in India. As part of the probe, the FIU has sought details from Kerala Police regarding individuals he contacted in the state and any financial transactions linked to him.