The incident occurred on January 5, 2025, at a luxury hotel in Karon, Thailand. Two Russian suspects allegedly attacked a fellow Russian over a crypto dispute. The victim, Mr. Zelimkhan, reported that he was assaulted and pressured to unlock his crypto wallet, which involved a substantial amount of money.

The main suspect, Andrei, demanded access to an alleged 120,000 USD crypto debt, resorting to violence when unable to unlock Zelimkhan’s wallet. The assailants fled with about 20,000 USD in cash, leaving Zelimkhan bruised and bound. Thai authorities have issued arrest warrants, identifying Andrei and his accomplice Dmitri as responsible for the attack.

This incident reflects a rising trend in crypto-related crimes. As per recent reports, significant amounts are stolen from crypto platforms yearly. Such crimes demonstrate the vulnerabilities associated with digital assets, where disputes over virtual currencies spiral into physical confrontations, as seen in this Thailand case and similar global instances.