The U.S. Secret Service, alongside international law enforcement agencies, has seized Garantex, a Russian cryptocurrency exchange implicated in connections to darknet markets and ransomware activities. The seizure was part of coordinated efforts against cryptocurrency services supporting illicit transactions. Garantex was previously sanctioned by both the U.S. Treasury and the European Union due to its high-profile associations with banned Russian banks and criminal organizations. This seizure represents ongoing governmental action against entities aiding in cybercrime, supported by multiple law enforcement agencies across various nations.
On Thursday, the official Garantex website was replaced with a notice saying the exchange's domain has been seized by the Secret Service following a warrant by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Last month, the European Union also sanctioned Garantex as, saying it is "closely associated with EU-sanctioned Russian banks." This was part of a package of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
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