European authorities have disrupted AudiA6, a cryptocurrency laundering service allegedly used by ransomware groups and cybercriminal networks to move stolen digital assets and hide money trails. Europol said the platform had been used since 2021 to launder more than €336 million, equivalent to roughly ₹3,300 crore, in illicit profits.
Key Financial Pipeline Cut Off
Europol described AudiA6 as a key financial pipeline for cybercriminals seeking to cash out stolen digital assets while concealing the movement of funds from authorities. The operators of AudiA6 are also suspected of administering Dark2Web, a dark web cybercrime forum where illicit services were advertised and threat actors connected globally.
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The coordinated operation took place on June 10, 2026, and led to the arrest of two alleged administrators of Ukrainian and Russian nationality in Georgia. Authorities also carried out three property searches, took down 25 domains, seized more than 30 servers and replaced the clear web and dark web sites of AudiA6 and Dark2Web with a law enforcement seizure banner.
Crypto Assets And Properties Seized
As part of the operation, authorities seized more than 80 vehicles and multiple properties in Georgia. Cryptocurrency assets worth €692,000, around ₹6.6 crore, were frozen, while another €86,000, around ₹82 lakh, in cryptocurrency was seized. The equivalent dollar figures mentioned were $798,000 and $99,400 respectively.
The U.S. Department of Justice also announced charges against the two arrested individuals, identified as Ruslan Igorevich Tkachuk, 37, and Alexander Vladimirovich Ledenev, 25. They have been accused of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and sting money laundering. If convicted, both face a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison.
The Justice Department said that out of approximately 10,333 bitcoin deposited, about 393.39 BTC, valued at around $19.23 million, or roughly ₹165 crore at the time of the transactions, had been received directly from known darknet markets, ransomware organizations, cybercrime services and other illicit sources.
Global Probe Traces Laundering Network
Europol said the crackdown followed an earlier Polish Police action that led to the arrest of a Ukrainian national in September 2025 for alleged money laundering activity connected to the AudiA6 group. The seizure of electronic devices in that case helped authorities identify additional individuals linked to the operation.
AudiA6 was described as an industrial-scale cryptocurrency laundering operation that relied on thousands of fraudulent exchange accounts opened using stolen or purchased identities. Europol said more than 6,000 Know Your Customer records linked to money mule accounts were identified during the investigation, many connected to Russian-speaking intermediaries recruited to move criminal proceeds through cryptocurrency exchanges.
The investigation involved the United States Secret Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, Polish Police and law enforcement partners from Australia, Canada, France, Georgia, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Europol said ransomware groups and cybercriminal networks are increasingly relying on chain-hopping, decentralized exchanges and mixer-as-a-service platforms to move illicit cryptocurrency across blockchains within minutes.
