The Teenage Spy: When Russia Recruits a Canadian Teen and Pays Him in Bitcoin

*The story of Laken Pavan sounds like something out of a film, but it is very real.*

This 17-year-old Canadian, who had been passionate about the military since childhood, found himself caught in the nets of the Russian FSB, becoming a pawn in Moscow's hybrid war against the West.

His journey perfectly illustrates the new recruitment methods used by the Russian secret services: targeting vulnerable young people and paying them in cryptocurrency to evade traditional surveillance.

Laken Pavan was born to serve. From an early age in Parksville, on the west coast of Canada, he worshipped his father, an Afghanistan veteran.

In 2019, aged 13, he even met former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the Normandy landings commemorations.

In 2022, aged 16, Laken joined the Canadian Army Reserve. Quickly disappointed by the experience, he began expressing pro-Russian views on social media in late 2023, calling the Russian war "justified" and encouraging others to join the Russian military. (Reuters)

On 16 April 2024, without telling his mother, Laken flew to Moscow and then travelled to Donetsk in occupied territory. Officially, he came to "help rebuild a school".

In reality, he was waiting until he turned 18 to enlist in the Russian army.

In late April, during a drunken night out, he was arrested by local police. That was when the FSB stepped in. After several interrogations at the Central Hotel in Donetsk, at least six FSB officers made him an offer he could not refuse: spy in Europe in exchange for Russian citizenship and a flat, under pain of death.

The Russians assigned him a handler nicknamed "Slon" (elephant).

His mission: to photograph Polish and NATO military facilities, then infiltrate the Ukrainian military — a particularly unrealistic mission given that Laken speaks neither Russian, Ukrainian, nor Polish.

Arriving in Copenhagen on 14 May 2024, his funds quickly dwindled.

That is when the most modern aspect of this affair came into play: Bitcoin. "Are you able to send BTC today?" he wrote to Slon via Telegram.

In total, Laken received over $500 in Bitcoin on 20 and 21 May 2024, according to court documents. (Reuters)

The Reuters investigation revealed a striking aspect: by tracing the Bitcoin payments, experts identified a wallet that has processed over $600 million since June 2022. This discovery suggests a funding system far broader than just the case of Laken Pavan.

On 23 May 2024, it all fell apart. In Warsaw, drunk and panicked in his hotel, Laken asked reception to call the police. He confessed everything: the recruitment, the Bitcoins, the threats. His last message with Slon: "Get yourself a new Canadian passport. Contact your father."

According to a NATO official, Russia is now recruiting untrained agents following the expulsion of its diplomats from Europe post-2022. Since then, dozens of teenagers have been arrested in Russia-linked espionage cases across Europe.

"In many cases, these are not trained intelligence professionals," the official explains. Teenagers are targeted because they are vulnerable, cheap, and often in need.

In December 2024, Laken pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 months in prison in Poland. There is no evidence to suggest he passed on sensitive information. His family is working towards his repatriation to Canada. (CBC News)

His devastated mother discovers thousands of hateful messages online: "These people know nothing about my son and have no idea how he was threatened by Russian agents."