Briton Wanted by US for Advising North Korea on Crypto Arrested in Russia
Russian Telegram channel Baja Naya has revealed that the Russian Bureau of Interpol has arrested a British man wanted by Interpol at the request of the United States and US officials claim he is using cryptocurrency there to circumvent further sanctions. While doing so, he was helping the people of North Korea.
If we talk about the report, 31-year-old Christopher Ames, who has been convicted of fraud against the US government, was taken to the hostel where he was staying. In early February, the International Criminal Organization issued a ‘Red Notice’ arrest warrant against him and according to its announcement he is wanted for an alleged conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. . More specifically, conspiring to violate United States sanctions on the Democratic Republic of Korea by working with a US citizen to illegally provide cryptocurrency and blockchain-related services to the DPRK And this was a part of his plan. In early 2018 we can say that Emms, who is a crypto currency trader, planned and organized a “Pyongyang Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Summit” as explained by the agency and he received a request from the United States. Crypto currency expert was also recruited who arranged his travel for this event in April 2019 to serve the nation. Both answered questions about blockchain and cryptocurrencies from a North Korean audience, including individuals working for the government in Pyongyang.
He also proposed plans for the DPRK to create smart contracts and mapped cryptocurrency transactions designed to evade US sanctions. Despite Emms taking steps to cover up his activities, the arrest of a US crypto expert in November 2019 prevented his plan from succeeding. Britain and his co-conspirator Alejandro Cao de Benos, a Spanish politician who have established close ties with North Korea and never obtained permission from the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to provide services to the DPRK As required in the United States and it is a law. On January 27, 2022, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Christopher by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Juvenile after the British national was found guilty of violating the IEEPA and charged with conspiracy. It was done. Interpol also says that he is known to be living in the UAE and in or around March 2022 he is living in Saudi Arabia. They had separate business interests in several jurisdictions including UAE, Malta, Gibraltar and Puri. Baja said that apparently he had decided to wait for the turbulent times in Russia where he is now under arrest.
North Korea is believed to have stolen a record amount of cryptocurrency last year, according to a UN report and an estimate by authors from the independent sanctions monitor suggests that 2022 could be stolen by hackers linked to the DPRK. The total value of virtual assets is higher than what year and exceeds $1 billion.
