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Moscow Confirms a Major Arrest of Russian-based Crypto Entrepreneur and Founder in Amsterdam
In the Netherlands, law enforcement agencies have arrested a Russian crypto entrepreneur. Allegedly, the individual takes part in two established cryptocurrency exchange platforms. Upon U.S. law enforcement’s request, the apprehension came into effect.
The arrest of the Russian cryptocurrency exchange founder became major crypto news in no time. Denis Dubnikov co-founded crypto exchange platforms Eggchange and Cayote Crypto. After the arrest on November 1 in Amsterdam, the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry decided to confirm the news. Meanwhile, the report was already traveling across social media platforms.
Before the arrest, the Russian crypto entrepreneur remained in an isolation airport ward in central Mexico City. Later on, Denis Dubnikov boarded on a Netherlands flight for eventual arrest by the Dutch authorities. In this complex operation, the critical factor was the tip that came from the FBI.
Russia – The Crypto Exchange Situation
According to the Russian Federation, it is illegal to perform crypto exchange operations on Russian territory. This law prompts judicial inquiry. And, if such a claim surfaces, the authorities have to review the crypto transactions.
In many cases, undeclared digital currency transactions not abiding by the Russian Federal law lead to arrests. The fact of the matter is that cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin don’t have a regulated status in Russia.
Unlike Russia, users from almost anywhere in the world can use crypto exchanges legally. However, this level of control and anonymous status attracts criminals. Meanwhile, criminal organizations have started to move away from using Bitcoin. Nevertheless, crypto exchanges are still at play.
In 2021, many Russian crypto exchanges faced closure after a court ruling. Simply put, the Russian court rules that websites posting business-centric crypto information and advertise exchanges are now illegal.
Roskomnadzor and Blacklisted Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Roskomnadzor, the telecommunication regulator in Russian can block crypto payments, transfers, or exchanges from websites. Also, the court ruling states that this telecom watchdog has full authority to block access to crypto platforms in Russia.
Its regular reports urge crypto founders and entrepreneurs to delete their illegal websites. However, if crypto operations on web pages continue to persist, Roskomnadzor will take action. The threat for crypto platforms comes from the same Russian court ruling that made all crypto exchanges illegal.
Key Details of the Arrest
CEO of Indefibank, Sergei Mendeleev, published a Facebook post on November 4 about his potential arrest. This post highlights that the U.S. wants to extradite Dubnikov in direct connection to crypto theft from 2018. The authorities believe that a portion of the digital currency went to Mendeleev’s wallets.
Social Media Discourse
Mendeleev raises awareness about a dramatic situation that involved Denis Dubnikov and the Russian Federal. Mendeleev shows a concerned remark in the post that crypto founders and entrepreneurs shouldn’t face harsh reception from federal authorities in foreign countries.
The detention in Mexico and then subsequent deportation to Amsterdam became possible at the behest of the U.S. and Mendeleev points out that it may happen to more Russian citizens in the foreseeable future. Mendeleev does not expect the Foreign Ministry of Russian to react to this situation as it folds, but he wants a response from the official authorities about detaining and arresting a fellow Russian citizen on foreign soil.
Like Mendeleev, there is an outpour of concern regarding the arrest of a Russian crypto entrepreneur in another country. After the arrest, the Russian diplomats have been in direct contact with the law enforcement agencies in Holland. In fact, Russian diplomats also played a crucial role to speed up the detention and arrest of Denis Dubnikov. The law enforcement in Holland noted that they have to observe and ensure Dubinkov’s rights.
The arrest of Dubnikov is part of the anti-money laundering Russian investigation that involves his crypto exchange business. Just before the arrest of Denis Dubnikov, Bloomberg had revealed that Egghcange is in question for money-laundering activities in the U.S. and Europe.
Other Similar Cases
The truth is that many Russian cryptocurrency businesses have now blacklisted status with similar allegations. For instance, in September, the Treasury Department of the U.S. decided to impose sanctions against Suex. The Czech-based OTC cryptocurrency broker was operating in Saint Petersburg and Moscow.
Experts believe that Dubnikov won’t be the first or the last Russian to go to court for crypto exchange activities. In 2017, the authorities arrested Alexander Vinnik, a Russian-based IT specialist, in Thessaloniki, Greece. Unlike Dubnikov, Vinnik was on a family vacation at the time of his arrest.
But U.S. authorities allegedly claim that Vinnik is the infamous operator of BTC-e exchange that laundered more than $9 billion. But French judiciary system didn’t accept the request for Vinnik’s extraction to Russia. Still, the extradition of Vinnik took place in France with a sentence of 5 years for crypto-based money laundering.
Like Vinnik, Dmitry Vasiliev’s case is also similar – Vasiliev was a former executive of Wex, which is the BTC-e successor. He was detained and arrested from Warsaw airport and has also been accused of multiple accounts of fraud charges in Kazakhstan.
Final Thoughts
It’s 2021 and security parameters and control of cryptocurrency like Bitcoin are not refutable. But heightened security and use of cryptocurrency come with a few strings attached. Of course, the regulation criteria is different in each country. However Russia seems to be following China’s lead, which has already banned cryptocurrencies.
At the moment, Russian authorities want to identify more crypto businesses operating illegal transactions. On the dark side, people use Bitcoin to buy and sell illegal items like weapons and drugs. So, many criminals are now aware of the fact that cryptocurrency leaves crumbs of information.
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