Miami –
A man of nationality Russia, Anatoly Legkodymov, was arrested while in Miami, United States of America, by the local police. Anatoly who is crypto boss accused of accommodating criminals freely doing their activities on the crypto platform he founded, Bizlato.
quoted detikINET from the Guardian, Thursday (19/1/2023) Anatoly who lives in China, operates Bizlato without proper anti-money laundering supervision and besides, those who transact there are not properly identified. Thus, the company has become a favorite of criminals who want to escape tracking by law enforcement agencies.
“So Bizlato is a hotbed for criminals, such as drug dealers and ransomware groups. They understand that when the police track their funds in Bizlato, Bizlato will not be able to show the user’s real identity,” said prosecutor Breon Peace.
Bizlato is registered in Hong Kong and founded in 2016. The company operates globally. According to the US Department of Justice, Bizlato, directly or indirectly, exchanged around USD 700 million worth of crypto or around IDR 10.5 trillion with users at Hydra Market.
Hydra Market itself is a black marketplace where criminals sell drugs, fake identities and other illegal products. The market place has been raided and closed by the authorities.
“Operating overseas or moving servers out of America will not protect you. Whether you violate our laws from China or Europe or from a tropical island, you can be held accountable for your crimes in a United States courtroom,” said deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.
The tropical island likely refers to the Bahamas, a place crypto boss Bankrupt FTX Sam Bankman Fried has a mansion. Bankman himself has now been extradited to the US to undergo court proceedings.
(fyk/fay)
