Media Identify Belarusian Man Arrested in Estonia on Money Laundering Charges
Reform.news Editorial Team · 14 October 2026, 20:08
https://reform.news/en/media-identify-belarusian-man-arrested-in-estonia-on-money-laundering-charges/Euroradio and Nasha Niva have identified the Belarusian citizen accused in Estonia of laundering more than €861,000 through cash and cryptocurrency transactions. According to the publications, citing sources, the man is 47-year-old Aleh Maiseyeu, who in 2020 was a trusted associate of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and served as her personal driver before later becoming a critic of her team.
In 2020, Maiseyeu joined Tsikhanouskaya’s team and became one of her trusted associates. He later grew closer to opponents of her office, took part in broadcasts with Valery Tsapkala and political analyst Dzmitry Balkunets, and supported a circle associated with the “Onoshko Headquarters” Telegram channel, which published material criticizing representatives of Belarusian democratic structures.
After leaving Belarus, Maiseyeu was granted political asylum in Lithuania. According to the publication, he worked in the construction business and sold furniture. Nasha Niva reports that his wife, Maryna Kosmach, was also associated with the opposition’s joint headquarters team in 2020 and later became part of the circle around people who created the “Onoshko Headquarters.”
As previously reported, according to the Estonian prosecutor’s office, the man was part of a group that helped launder criminal proceeds by exchanging cash for cryptocurrency and vice versa. More than €861,000 allegedly passed through him over a three-month period. The group used anonymization methods. In particular, when meeting to transfer money, participants identified one another using a banknote serial number sent in advance via an encrypted messaging app.
According to prosecutors, Maiseyeu not only participated in the transactions but also arranged meeting times and locations with clients, received and handed over cash, and coordinated other couriers.
The man was detained on June 13, 2026. The case has now been referred to court. His detention was extended this week.