Gujarat CID Arrests Another Accused in International Crypto Syndicate

The Gujarat CID Crime's Cyber Centre of Excellence has made a significant breakthrough in its ongoing investigation into an international cryptocurrency syndicate linked to terror financing, dark web narcotics trade, money laundering, and cyber fraud.

According to officials, Ghulamali Qureshi (25), a resident of Mirzapur in Ahmedabad, was arrested on Sunday for allegedly operating illegal cryptocurrency transactions and converting 'dirty crypto' into USDT through peer-to-peer platforms and mule bank accounts.

The investigation, which has been ongoing since 2025, has uncovered links between the accused and entities sanctioned by international agencies. Investigators used blockchain analysis to trace cryptocurrency transactions linked to the illegal online narcotics marketplace 'ARTEMISLAB', and found that funds from the platform had been transferred into cryptocurrency wallets operated from Gujarat.

The accused allegedly used Monero, an anonymous cryptocurrency often associated with dark web activities, terror financing, and drug trafficking, to conceal transactions worth nearly Rs 2 crore. The investigation has also uncovered links between the accused and entities sanctioned by international agencies, including Hamas, Ansar Allah (also known as the Houthis), Iran's IRGC-QF, Russia-based crypto exchange Garantex, and wallets associated with the Ilan Shor network.