Russia extradites Iranian citizen accused of $36,000 crypto fraud

A citizen of Iran suspected of cryptocurrency fraud amounting to $36,000 has been extradited from Russia to his home country, Russian Interior Ministry spokesperson Irina Volk announced at a briefing.

The suspect was handed over to Iranian law enforcement officers by officials of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service and Interpol at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, Caliber.Az reports.

“According to our Iranian partners, in 2020 the suspect provided consulting services related to cryptocurrency,” Volk said.

Authorities allege that a woman, seeking to invest safely through a crypto exchange, transferred $36,000 to the man. Instead of investing the funds, he appropriated the money and refused to return it. Iranian law enforcement subsequently launched a criminal case and placed him on an international wanted list.

Russian police later located the suspect in Moscow and detained him. Following the approval of Iran’s extradition request by the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office, he was handed over to Iranian authorities to face criminal charges.

By Khagan Isayev