Two years after the exchange ceased operations, the exchange’s founder and former CEO eventually returned to Turkey.
The saga of the Turkish cryptocurrency exchange Thodex continues with the return of the platform’s originator two years after trading ceased.
Cointelegraph Turkey reported that Faruk Fatih Ozer, the founder and former CEO of Thodex, has been extradited from Albania to Turkey.
As soon as the 27-year-old arrived at Istanbul Airport on April 20, local police detained him on suspicion of fraud and money laundering, according to the Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu Agency.
Thursday morning, the plane transporting Ozer took off from the Albanian capital of Tirana and landed at Istanbul Airport, according to the report. Ozer was taken into detention by the Istanbul Airport Police Department upon arrival. The arrested founder is anticipated to undergo medical examinations before being transported to the Istanbul Police Department.
Ozer’s entrance into Turkey occurs nearly two years after the Thodex exchange unexpectedly discontinued trading and withdrawals on April 22, 2021, amid allegations of police investigations. Local publications speculated that the suspension was part of an exit scheme involving Ozer, the CEO of Thodex, who escaped Turkey with at least $2 billion in stolen cryptocurrency. Interpol issued a red notice for Ozer, who reportedly fled to Albania after receiving the notice.
In August 2022, roughly one year after the collapse of Thodex, the fugitive founder was apprehended in Albania. In addition, Turkish police detained 62 individuals in connection with an alleged Thodex exit scheme, as well as some siblings of the then-missing CEO.
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