Canadian influencer held in Russia

Police detained a prominent Canadian-Israeli influencer at a Russian airport on Monday, Russian media are reporting.

Global Affairs Canada confirmed it’s aware of an arrest involving a Canadian in Russia but would not provide further details citing privacy concerns. Canadian officials have contacted local authorities for information and to offer consular assistance.

CTVNews.ca is awaiting responses from Interpol, the international police organization said to be responsible for the arrest, the United States Department of Justice and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

CTVNews.ca asked officials to clarify on what grounds Joshua Cartu was reportedly detained.

Russian media outlet 47news.ru, among others, reported on Tuesday that 45-year-old Joshua Cartu was arrested at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, a city in northwestern Russia.

Cartu has amassed a sizable following online as a wealthy influencer and race-car driver. His Instagram profile displays countless images of expensive cars, aircraft and Cartu himself relaxing on beaches. The day after his reported arrest, he had more than 680,000 followers on the platform.

His online presence made him an object of fascination for motorsports enthusiasts and the financial press. He has been profiled in Forbes and other major outlets, described as a millionaire race-car driver, entrepreneur, and branding and marketing expert.

In 2020, the CFTC accused Cartu and a group of people and companies, including two of his brothers, of operating a fraudulent binary options trading scheme that received more than US$165 million. Binary options are a kind of financial instrument that allows investors to bet on whether an asset will rise or fall in value.

The commission alleged the Cartu brothers “controlled these transactions and manipulated the results of some trades to force customer losses and generate profits for themselves.”

In 2023, the CFTC reportedly dropped the accusations against Joshua and David Cartu.