Aleksej Besciokov, a 46-year-old Lithuanian arrested in Varkala, Kerala, for orchestrating a $96 billion (over Rs 8 lakh crore) cryptocurrency fraud, lived an astonishingly miserly life at the scenic tourist spot. Nabbed by Kerala Police on Tuesday, hours before he planned to flee India, Besciokov had resided in a rented house for eight years, maintaining a low profile that stunned locals and his landlord.

Despite allegedly facilitating money laundering for transnational crime syndicates, including terrorists, via his cryptocurrency exchange 'Garantex,' Besciokov penny-pinched in Varkala. His landlord described him as a miser, reluctant to raise rent and riding a Rs 12,000 two-wheeler he repaired himself to avoid mechanic fees. Unlike the boisterous foreign tourists frequenting Varkala’s beaches, Besciokov and his occasional visitors remained quiet, blending into the coastal town’s backdrop.

The unraveling began when a vigilant police inspector, acting on a Patiala House Court directive, visited his home. Besciokov offered Rs 50,000 in Rs 500 notes—later flagged as a bribe attempt—prompting swift action. A larger police force arrested him, and on Saturday, he was flown to New Delhi by Kerala Police and CBI officials. Produced before the Patiala House Court, he was remanded to judicial custody.