Cryptocurrency fraudster who helped DPRK circumvent US sanctions detained in Russia

British Christopher Emms, who is wanted by Interpol at the request of the United States, was detained in Moscow. According to the Americans, the man helped North Korea circumvent sanctions by using cryptocurrency.

Officers of the Russian Interpol bureau detained Christopher Emms right in the hostel where he was staying. the 31-year-old Briton is suspected of fraud against the US government. Earlier this month, the International Criminal Police issued a «red notice» in this case.

«A «red notice» is a warning to law enforcement agencies around the world to find and arrest the person in question and hold him or her until extradition proceedings are initiated.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Emms, along with two co-conspirators, conspired to help North Korea circumvent U.S. sanctions. According to the investigation, the men advised members of the DPRK government, and Emms explained in detail how to use digital assets to transfer money to any country in the world.

The defendants also organized a blockchain conference in Pyongyang. Kao de Benos and Christopher Emms organized a blockchain conference in Pyongyang. They hired former Ethereum Foundation researcher Virgil Griffith as a cryptocurrency expert and invited him to the event in April 2019. Griffith was arrested in November of the same year. He was later accused of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

As a reminder, North Korean hackers have stolen more crypto assets than ever before. «The DPRK has used advanced cybertechnologies to both gain access to digital networks and steal potentially valuable information, including for its nuclear programs ,» the UN Security Council report says. North Korea itself officially denies all this.

Most of the cyberattacks were carried out by groups controlled by North Korea’s Main Intelligence Bureau, and thus were political in nature. Analysts said that according to preliminary estimates, in 2022, hackers stole virtual assets ranging from $ 630 million to more than $ 1 billion.