The former boss of the Thodex crypto exchange Faruk Fatih Ozer is now in the custody of Turkish authorities. He had been on the run after allegedly executing a $2 billion crypto heist.
The fugitive Ozer was brought back from Albania after international authorities chased him for nearly two years.
Faruk Fatih Ozer Finally Captured
According to Turkish media, Anadolu Agency, Ozer landed at Istanbul Airport on Thursday morning. He was then taken for a medical checkup before Istanbul Police Department took him into custody
The authorities brought him back to Turkey after the Albanian court ordered his extradition in November last year.
BeInCrypto reported that the Albanian authorities arrested the fugitive in the coastal city of Vlorë in August 2022.
The $2 Billion Thodex Crypto Heist
On April 22, 2021, BeInCrypto reported that the Thodex cryptocurrency exchange customers could not withdraw funds. During that time, it had over 390,000 active users.
Initially, the exchange announced it had “temporarily closed” due to an “abnormal fluctuation in the company accounts.”
According to a statement on Thodex, Faruk Fatih Ozer traveled abroad to meet foreign investors on April 19. He even assured users that he would return to Turkey in a few days but was later unresponsive.
During investigations, the authorities discovered that Ozer allegedly defrauded Thodex’s customers of approximately $2 billion. Simultaneously, Interpol issued a Red Notice against him for his capture.
Six people, including Ozer’s siblings, were jailed in May 2021.
Authorities have become a critical part of holding crypto fraudsters accountable. Recently, Montenegro’s Minister of the Interior charged Terraform Labs’ founder, Do Kwon, with the forgery of official documents.
Kwon was arrested at Podgorica airport while trying to board a private flight to Dubai last month.
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