'5 Trillion Won Money Laundering' Russian Illegal Bitcoin Exchange Operator Extradited to the US

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] Major foreign media reported on the 6th (local time) that the United States has received Alexander Vinnik (43), a Russian who had long been wanted on charges including money laundering involving $4 billion (about 5.1 trillion won), from Greece.

According to reports, the Greek government extradited Vinnik to the United States on the 5th. He is accused of laundering more than $4 billion in criminal proceeds while operating the illegal Bitcoin trading site BTC-e. In addition, he is also charged with extorting money from over 200 people using ransomware and drug trafficking.

The United States applied more than 20 charges against him and had been striving to secure his custody for years. Vinnik was arrested in Greece in 2017, then transferred to France, which claimed jurisdiction over the case, where he was found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to five years in prison. After completing his sentence in France, Vinnik was extradited to Greece on the 4th. Greek authorities sent him to the United States immediately upon receiving him.

Vinnik's legal team stated, "He requested asylum in Greece, but it was not accepted," and added, "Washington appears to have exerted significant influence over the extradition."

The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed anger over Vinnik's extradition to the United States, stating, "We are outraged by the decision of the Greek authorities," and "Russia will do everything possible to protect his legal rights and interests."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.