Alexandre Cazes
Alexandre Cazes
Alexandre Cazes was a 25-year-old Canadian computer expert based in Thailand. The mastermind behind the dark web exchange Alpha Bay, Cazes was arrested at the request of US Authorities by Thai officials for running the site. He later committed suicide in his jail cell.
Biography
Early Life
Alexandre is originally from Quebec. His father described himself as an extraordinary young man who had no criminal history, never used drugs, and would never hurt a fly. [1] At the age of 17, Alexandre started his first company, EBX Technologies in Trois-Rives, Quebec where he produced software and designing websites for local businesses. [undefined] He would later go on to make a fortune trading cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
Move to Thailand and Start of Alpha Bay
Alexandre next to a luxury vehicle
In 2013, Alexandre moved to Thailand and a year later would start Alpha Bay and was one of many exchanges to exist after the Silk Road. Only able to be accessed on the Tor network which uses encrypted technology to shield users’ identity, Alpha Bay would grow to be the largest illicit exchange on the dark web, hosting 300,000 listings, the site was conservatively facilitating $600,000 to $800,000 a day in transactions. [undefined]
In Thailand, Alexandre was living a life of luxury and opulence.
He owned three homes and a fleet of luxury cars including a Porche and a gray Lamborghini. He married a Thai wife and was planning to have his first child on the way. [undefined]
Investigation and Arrest
Within a year of its launched, authorities launched an investigation into who was behind the operations of Alpha Bay.
At first, undercover agents bought contraband such as marijuana, heroin, meth, fentanyl, an ATM skimmer, and 46 fake driver’s licenses.
Yet, they soon found a break in the welcome email addresses as well as early password retrieval emails in which Alexandre's old email address, pimp_alex_91@hotmail.com, would show up in the header.
[undefined] Investigators would link the email to his PayPal account and a pickup artist discussion forum where he would regularly brag about his gains made investing in cryptocurrencies. [undefined]
On July 5th, 2017, Royal Thai police arrest Alexandre in his main home in Bangkok. In addition, his wife was arrested for money laundering. Alexandre was later found dead in a cell at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau in Laksi district on July 12th; it is believed that he hanged himself. [undefined]