Anton Shkurenko, one of the founders of the Russian crypto exchange Bitzlato, was arrested and subsequently released by authorities in Moscow. Earlier Bitzlato was shut by the US Justice Dept. over dispute laundering allegations by US and EU authorities.
Contacted by reports after a brief message on Turkish media, the Bitzlato co-founder let out that the police detained him after a routine stopover for an ID check of his computer. He is sad that the police let him go after a brief interaction. But he refused to answer the question about the exact law enforcement unit that detained him.
Bitzlato’s co-founder also was made to sign an obligation that he would appear when ordered by an investigatory. He received a warrant for the no-detention subject to the fact that he would cooperate to avoid being arrested in the future. Shkurenko said that he was detained because he remains on the most active list by the Dept. of Justice. On a Zoom call, he claimed that the media would not be hounding him . he was speaking from an undisclosed apartment.
Bitzlato Co-Founder Said No Criminal Investigation Against Him
Shkurenko said that no criminal activity has been claimed against him. He said that he was hopeful that the prosecutors had been impressed by his line of defense. He added that the ongoing investigation prevented him from speaking out in detail with the press.
Bitzlato was closed in January after a combined jurisdictional agreement by several European and American courts. They said they had evidence to implicate the Bitzlato cofounder as it found evidence of links between the exchange and Hydra, the darknet marketplace.
Shkurenko claimed that he was merely a tech consultant in the firm, though it was apparent that he yielded much power. He was once a key member of the exchange but later relinquished his powers, he claimed. The financial crime department of the American Treasury has branded the exchange as a money laundering firm.
