Briton wanted by US for advising North Korea on crypto in Russia –
A British citizen wanted by Interpol with a Red Notice for entering North Korea cryptocurrencies consulted was arrested in Moscow. US authorities claim the man helped the Pyongyang regime circumvent sanctions with digital assets.
British citizen wanted by US for violating North Korea sanctions arrested at Moscow hostel
Russia’s Interpol office has arrested a Brit wanted by Interpol at the request of the United States, Russia’s Telegram channel Baza revealed. Authorities in the US claim he helped North Koreans circumvent sanctions using crypto.
Christopher Emms, 31, who is accused of fraud against the US government, has been arrested at his dorm. In early February, the International Criminal Police Organization issued a Red Notice arrest warrant. His announcement details:
Christopher Douglas Emms is wanted on alleged conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
More specifically, he conspired to violate United States sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) by working with an American citizen to illegally sell cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency to the DPRK Blockchain– Provide technology services.
In early 2018, Emms, a crypto businessman, planned and organized the Pyongyang Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Conference, the agency explained. He also recruited a cryptocurrency expert from the United States and arranged his trip to the country in April 2019 for the event.
Both answered questions about blockchain and crypto technologies from the North Korean audience, including people working for the Pyongyang government. They also proposed plans to create smart contracts for the DPRK and outlined crypto transactions to avoid US sanctions.
Although Emms took steps to cover up their activities, the American crypto expert was arrested in November 2019, disrupting the scheme. The Briton and his co-conspirator Alejandro Cao de Benós, a Spanish political activist with close ties to North Korea, never received permission from the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to provide services to the DPRK as required by the US Law.
On January 27, 2022, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Christopher Emms in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York after the British citizen was charged with conspiracy to violate the IEEPA.
Interpol also said Emms was known to be living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and had been in Saudi Arabia in or around March 2022. He has also had various business interests in multiple jurisdictions including the United Arab Emirates, Malta, Gibraltar and throughout Europe. Baza noted that he appears to have decided to wait out the turbulent times in Russia, where he is now being held.
According to a draft UN report, North Korea stole a record amount of cryptocurrency last year. An estimate cited by the authors, independent sanctions observers, suggests that the total value of virtual assets obtained by hackers with DPRK ties in 2022 is larger than in any previous year, exceeding $1 billion.
Do you think Russia will extradite Christopher Emms to the United States? Share your thoughts on the case in the comments section below.
photo credit: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons, Stanick / Shutterstock.com
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Source: Crypto News Deutsch
