**Fake Passports, $65M US, and an Interpol Red Notice: Canadian Crypto Fugitive Vanishes After Arrest in Serbia**
Andean Medjedovic, a 21-year-old Canadian crypto fugitive, has been on the run for over four years, evading authorities and leaving a trail of deceit and destruction in his wake. His arrest in Belgrade, Serbia, was met with a flurry of activity as Dutch authorities issued a European arrest warrant and Interpol placed an Red Notice on him.
According to court records, Medjedovic had been traveling extensively since disappearing from Canada in 2021. He claimed to have visited Brazil, Dubai, Spain, and other destinations, using fake identification documents to maintain his anonymity. However, Dutch authorities alleged that he used a fake Slovak passport to check into a hotel in The Hague on the day of the KyberSwap hack.
Medjedovic's exploits have garnered significant attention in the cryptocurrency space. He allegedly used his mathematical and computer programming prowess to drain millions of dollars from two crypto platforms, KyberSwap and Indexed Finance. His hacking skills were so sophisticated that he was able to exploit vulnerabilities in the platforms' programming, misrepresenting supply and demand for certain cryptocurrencies.
But what sets Medjedovic apart from other cyber hackers is his brazen behavior. He engaged with victims and online observers, even sending a publicly visible message to KyberSwap after the hack: "Negotiations will start in a few hours when I am fully rested. Thank you." This move was seen as a clear indication of his intentions – he was not just looking for a quick score, but was instead seeking to extort millions from the platform.
Medjedovic's online footprint has been linked to his time at Westmount Secondary School in Hamilton, where he graduated at 14 and received a master's degree in pure mathematics at 18. He used an email address for the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board to create an online username connected to the Indexed attack.
As authorities closed in on him, Medjedovic disappeared again, leaving behind a trail of breadcrumbs that led investigators to Bosnia. The Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency confirmed that they had acted on an order from the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina to arrest Medjedovic, but it appears he managed to evade capture once more.
Now, with millions of dollars in cryptocurrency still at large, experts are warning that Medjedovic's reign of terror may not be over yet. "He needs to be perfect," said Kyle Armstrong, a former FBI agent and blockchain intelligence expert. "From here until eternity, he needs to be perfect in obfuscating the proceeds of this exploit which are being tracked."
The case of Andean Medjedovic serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of cybercrime and the ease with which individuals can hide behind fake identities and anonymity tools like Tornado Cash. As authorities continue to track his movements, it remains to be seen whether Medjedovic will eventually be brought to justice or if he will manage to evade capture once again.
**Timeline:**
* 2021: Andean Medjedovic disappears from Canada * December 11, 2023: Dutch authorities issue a European arrest warrant for Medjedovic * February 2024: Medjedovic is arrested in Belgrade, Serbia * March 2024: The Belgrade Higher Court denies the Dutch extradition request, citing insufficient evidence and light sentencing in the Netherlands * January 17, 2025: The U.S. Department of Justice files a previously unreported indictment, stating that Medjedovic may have left Serbia for Bosnia
**Files:**
* Translation of court documents from Serbian to English * Emails between Andean Medjedovic and his father discussing his Bosnian identification documents * Records showing Medjedovic's application for a passport in Bosnia
Note: This article is based on the original content provided, with additional formatting and editing for clarity. The sources cited are:
* "The fifth estate" (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) * Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) * TRM Labs * U.S. Department of Justice