Prøve GULL - Gratis

Blocked, chained

THE WEEK India

|

March 30, 2025

How a Lithuanian crypto criminal was nabbed from a beach town in Kerala

- NIRMAL JOVIAL

Blocked, chained

Once March 10, police in Varkala—a scenic coastal retreat in south Kerala— launched an unusual manhunt. A passport-size photo and a name that twisted the tongue were their only leads. A provisional arrest warrant from a Delhi CBI court had arrived, ordering the capture of Lithuanian national Aleksej Besciokov. Just four days earlier, a US court had indict- ed the 46-year-old and his Russian accomplice, Aleksandr Mira Serda, on charges of money laundering via their crypto platform Garantex.

With pressure mounting, the Kerala Police combed the winding lanes of the beach town. Jojin Raj, a civil police officer assigned to the Varkala tourism police, was in the search party. “A large section of international tourists in Varkala now prefers homestays—mostly run by foreigners—over hotels or resorts,” he said. “Many tourists take proper- ties on long-term leases, paying well, while the original owners move into rented houses. So, our focus was on homestays.”

In the afternoon of March 11, Raj headed to Kakkodu Mukku, near the famous Varkala Cliff. He saw an old foreign woman supervising the re- furbishing of a homestay. “I showed her the picture, and she immediately said she had seen him,” Raj said. En- couraged, he began checking houses in the neighbourhood. His eyes landed on man in a hammock on the first floor of a nearby homestay.

“The moment he saw me, he bolt- ed inside,” said Raj. He knocked the door and a foreigner answered. “I asked for his name, but his thick ac- cent made it hard to catch,” he said. “Then I asked his country of origin. When he said Lithuania, a light bulb went off in my head.”

THE WEEK India

Denne historien er fra March 30, 2025-utgaven av THE WEEK India.

Abonner på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av kuraterte premiumhistorier og over 9000 magasiner og aviser.

Allerede abonnent?

FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

When Covid played Cupid

The story of a couple who found love in the lockdown

time to read

3 mins

July 27, 2025

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

Faith in action

Behind Puri's chariots is an army of quiet caretakers who make sure every pilgrim is fed, cared for and safe

time to read

2 mins

July 27, 2025

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

XUANZANG'S WORK HAS A CERTAIN BIAS THAT CALLS FOR CAREFUL INTERPRETATION

Prof Max Deeg specialises in the history of Buddhism, especially the spread of the religion from India to Central and East Asia.

time to read

7 mins

July 27, 2025

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

UMPIRE'S CALL

Bihar's poll roll revision raises the question whether the Election Commission has the will to act without fear or favour

time to read

5 mins

July 27, 2025

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

THE INVISIBLE EDITOR

They are deciding what we see. Knowing how to limit these algorithms will help you reclaim control

time to read

6 mins

July 27, 2025

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

Keepers of legacy

Four men who lent their names to everyday words

time to read

7 mins

July 27, 2025

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

Catastrophic failure

The Air India flight crash is not just a case of mechanical misfortune, but a warning shot across the bow of modern aircraft design

time to read

6 mins

July 27, 2025

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

Deal with it

Trump has normalised tariff flip-flops as state policy. Time for India to move forward and get competitive to take advantage of the new reality

time to read

8 mins

July 27, 2025

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

Wedding wow

How an intercaste couple got married at a flooded temple in a cooking pot

time to read

3 mins

July 27, 2025

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

Guns and roses

A couple finds love amid Maoist landmines

time to read

3 mins

July 27, 2025