Australian police seize $4.1M in Bitcoin tied to darknet market
NSW Police said the Bitcoin was allegedly linked to illegal darknet marketplace activity involving drugs and weapons.
Cybercrime detectives in Australia seized 52 Bitcoin valued at 5.7 million Australian dollars ($4.1 million) in what they said is one of Australia’s largest crackdowns on an illegal darknet marketplace using cryptocurrency.
Strike Force Andalusia, a division of the State Crime Command’s Cyber Crime Squad, said they seized $4.1 million worth of cryptocurrency and arrested two suspects related to a darknet marketplace operating from Ingleburn in Sydney following a 15-month investigation, the New South Wales Police Force said Wednesday.
Police said two men, aged 41 and 39, allegedly had access to the cryptocurrency wallet. The 41-year-old is scheduled to appear in Campbelltown Local Court on May 13, while the 39-year-old is due in Batemans Bay Local Court on June 15.