Aleksey Besciokov, who was accused in the US of administering the sanctioned Garantex crypto exchange and was awaiting extradition, has died in an Indian prison. His death was reported on September 5 by a number of Russian media outlets, citing a post by entrepreneur Sergei Mendeleev and reports on Telegram channels; according to their information, Besciokov died on August 31, but his relatives only found out about it now. There is no official confirmation from the Indian authorities at the time of publication, and the cause of death has not been disclosed.
On March 12-13, 2025, Indian authorities detained Beshchekov in the state of Kerala at the request of the United States. Indian publications and international media reported on the arrest, citing the US Department of Justice and Indian law enforcement agencies.
According to the US Secret Service, Beshchekov (along with Alexander Mira Serd) was charged with conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to violate the IEEPA, and conspiracy to conduct an unregistered payment business (Eastern District of Virginia jurisdiction). On March 6, 2025, the US also seized the domains that supported Garantex’s operations.
On August 14, 2025, the US State Department announced a reward of up to $6 million for information leading to the arrest/conviction of Garantex leaders (including up to $5 million for information about Alexander Mira Serd). On the same day, the US Treasury Department updated sanctions against the network associated with Garantex (including Grinex).
Garantex was added to the US sanctions lists back in April 2022 for systematically ignoring AML/CFT requirements, and on March 6, 2025, US authorities announced comprehensive actions against the exchange’s infrastructure. Indian law enforcement officials indicated that Beshchekov, a Lithuanian citizen residing in Russia, was responsible for the technical infrastructure and approval of transactions on Garantex.
At the time of writing, there have been no official reports from the Indian authorities regarding Beshekhov’s death; public information is based on social media posts and media publications citing them. We continue to monitor statements from Indian law enforcement agencies/the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the US Department of Justice, and the defendant’s lawyers. The information will be updated when official confirmation or details of the cause of death become available.
https://www.fixygen.ua/news/20250906/v-indiyskiy-vyaznitsi-pomer-tvorets-kriptobirzhi-garantex.html
