Brit who consulted North Korea on crypto clears up arrest rumours

Update (22 February 11:30 UTC): This article has been updated with an explanation from Christopher Emms regarding the detention rumors from local media.

The news that a British national was detained in Moscow at the request of Interpol appeared to be false.

According to some Russian media, Christopher Emms was arrested in Moscow on February 21 following a “red notice” from Interpol. The 31-year-old British citizen was detained at the hostel where he was staying.

In April 2022, together with Spanish national Alejandro Cao De Benos, Emms allegedly gave instructions to North Korea on how to use blockchain and cryptocurrency to launder money and avoid sanctions. The two planned and organized the Pyongyang Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Conference in 2019.

The third participant in the conspiracy is Virgil Griffith, a former Ethereum developer. He was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in November 2019, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 63 months in prison. Emms could face up to 20 years in prison for one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Related: North Korea stole more crypto in 2022 than any other year

Radha Stirling, the founder of Due Process International, a non-governmental organization that helps defend human rights in the face of international enforcement agencies, previously argued that there was no strong evidence against Emms:

“Precisely because he did nothing wrong; he didn’t give any information to North Korea that doesn’t already appear on the first page of Google.”

In September 2022, Saudi Arabia rejected the US extradition request due to the lack of a legal basis and released Emms after an eight-month travel ban. He immediately left the country and fled to Russia. Despite the country being targeted by the DoJ’s efforts to enforce the financial sanctions in the crypto sector, the local officials decided to help their American counterparts.

On February 22, Emms contacted Cointelegraph to deny the media report about his detention. He currently lives in Moscow, contributes to the Russia Today TV channel, and is in the process of obtaining permanent legal status. According to Emms, there were no problems with local law enforcement, and he does not know where the misinformation about his detention came from:

“I continue to be grateful to the Russian Federation for granting me the right of residence in the country where I am in the process of seeking political asylum, I continue to refute all accusations against me by the US authorities.”