Fugitive Crime Boss Insists Bitcoin Wealth Is Legitimate
In a recent ruling, UK High Court judge Mr. Justice Timothy Mould authorized the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to confiscate £3.5 million worth of Bitcoin, approximately $4.3 million, from convicted drug lord Alexander Surin, infamously dubbed “Don Car-Leone.”
According to a report by The Telegraph, Surin fled to Dubai following his 2015 conviction in France for drug trafficking. In the aftermath of his sentencing, the National Crime Agency (NCA) seized several of his assets, including luxury vehicles, substantial funds, and prime London properties.
At the time, both Surin and his wife admitted that the confiscated assets, valued at £4.5 million ($5.6 million), had been acquired through unlawful means. However, Surin reportedly retains millions in Bitcoin stored in a Coinbase Kenya account.
The fugitive crime boss argues that his Bitcoin holdings were obtained legally through trading gold bullion in Dubai. Surin claims the digital currency came from two transactions involving a trader operating in Dubai’s gold souk, described as working from “small rooms in shops or buildings.”
Surin further stated that this trader operates without a formal website or bookkeeping system, relying solely on trust and reputation for conducting business.
Court Ruling: Bitcoin Holdings To Be Seized
Martin Evans KC, representing the CPS, presented “compelling evidence” before the High Court, asserting that Surin’s Bitcoin holdings originated from illicit activities. Evans pointed to substantial transfers into Surin’s Coinbase Kenya account made by Christian Hargreaves, a convicted drug trafficker sentenced to 17 years for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
The CPS claimed that, aside from two fake invoices, Surin failed to provide any credible documentation to account for his wealth, particularly following the prior seizure of his assets.
Evans also highlighted that Surin and Hargreaves’ British nationality established a “sufficient connection to England and Wales,” allowing the CPS to pursue legal action under proceeds-of-crime laws to confiscate the Bitcoin in question.
In an email response, Surin refuted the CPS’s allegations, stating there was “no evidence” to link him to criminal activities or to suggest that his Bitcoin holdings were derived from illegal means.
Despite Surin’s defense, Mr. Justice Mould rejected his claims, concluding that the Bitcoin holdings represented laundered money from drug trafficking operations. The judge subsequently approved the CPS’s request to seize the cryptocurrency assets:
“The evidence presented by the CPS, indicating that these transactions were made with the defendant’s knowledge to launder money derived from illegal drug trafficking, is compelling. Surin’s alternative explanation—that these were legitimate gold bullion sales to Panache Jewels LLC—lacks credibility when weighed against the CPS’s evidence.”
