AudiA6 Crypto Laundering Network Busted by International Authorities

US authorities have charged two individuals, Ruslan Igorevich Tkachuk and Alexander Vladimirovich Ledenev, for operating a cryptocurrency laundering service called AudiA6. The operation is accused of processing over $389 million in illicit digital asset transactions since 2021.

AudiA6 allegedly marketed itself as a 'mixer' and exchange service capable of obscuring the origin of funds on darknet forums. Investigators claim the operators used terms like 'dirty' and 'clean' crypto to describe their services, promising low AML risk scores to help funds avoid exchange freezes.

The complaint alleges that AudiA6 charged fees of up to 5% for laundering services and maintained a complex network of infrastructure including darknet forums, escrow systems, Telegram channels, and cross-chain conversion tools. Undercover agents allegedly tested the service by asking to mix funds tied to ransomware activity, with the operators agreeing to process the transaction.

The operation involved authorities from multiple countries, including the US, Europol, Germany, France, Iceland, the UK, Canada, Japan, and others. The coordinated takedown led to the seizure of servers and domains, as well as the blocking of Telegram accounts and freezing of crypto assets.