British police seize cryptocurrency record in London



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A visual representation of digital currencies.

Yuriko Nakao | Getty Images

British detectives seized a record volume of cryptocurrency worth nearly £ 180million ($ 249million) in London.

The Metropolitan Police – the force that oversees the Greater London area – said on Tuesday that it was the largest amount of cryptocurrency ever seized by police in the UK, adding that it was also of one of the largest cryptocurrency foreclosures ever made in the world.

The cryptocurrency was discovered on Saturday after the Met’s Economic Crime Command received intelligence relating to the transfer of criminal assets.

At the end of June, the Met confiscated £ 114million of cryptocurrency, which at the time set a new record for cryptocurrency seizures in Britain.

A 39-year-old woman was arrested on June 24 on suspicion of money laundering offenses following the first cryptocurrency seizure. She was also questioned in connection with the £ 180million seizure and was released on bail until the end of July, the Met said.

Graham McNulty, Assistant Deputy Commissioner of the Met, said in a press release Tuesday that new technologies are helping criminal operations evolve.

“As cash remains king in the criminal world, as digital platforms develop we are seeing more and more organized criminals using cryptocurrency to launder their dirty money,” he said. .

“While a few years ago it was fairly uncharted territory, now we have highly trained officers and specialized units working hard in this space to stay one step ahead of those who use it on special occasions. illicit purposes. “

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