Polish national Roman Ziemian, co-founder of the digital currency trading platform FutureNet, has been arrested in Montenegro following allegations of defrauding users out of approximately $21 million, according to reports from local authorities. Ziemian was apprehended in a joint operation involving Montenegrin police and Interpol after evading capture for over a year.
Ziemian had previously escaped house arrest in Italy in 2022, prompting both Poland and South Korea to issue international warrants for his arrest. Montenegrin law enforcement found him hiding under a false identity in a newly developed residential area in the capital, Podgorica.
During the operation, officers seized various technical devices and items suspected to be linked to Ziemian’s criminal activities. Authorities have charged Ziemian with money laundering, theft, and violations related to economic crime.
Ziemian’s partner, Stefan Morgenstern, was also apprehended last year in Greece and later in Albania, according to local police reports. Ziemian is expected to appear before a judge at the High Court in Podgorica, who will decide on his extradition.
Ziemian now finds himself in the same country where Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon is awaiting extradition. Do Kwon, who has been in custody in Montenegro since March 2023 after being caught with a fake passport, is the subject of an ongoing legal tug-of-war between South Korea and the United States, both seeking his extradition.
As Montenegro continues to be a focal point in high-profile international crypto crime cases, the arrests of figures like Ziemian and Kwon highlight the growing global crackdown on digital asset fraud.
