UK Police Seize $2.7M in Crypto From Teenager in Money Laundering Investigation

The 17-year-old appeared in court on Tuesday and was sentenced to community service.

AccessTimeIconOct 27, 2021 at 11:57 a.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 5:51 p.m. UTC

U.K. police seized more than £2 million ($2.7 million) in cryptocurrency from a 17-year-old during an investigation into what they called a “sophisticated cyber fraud.”

  • Detectives from the Cyber Crime Unit said they had uncovered links to money laundering through cryptocurrency, which led to the seizure of more than 48 bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
  • The teenager, who was not identified for legal reasons, was arrested in August 2020 following an investigation into reports of credit card fraud and the theft of personal information to defraud a digital gift voucher company out of approximately £6,000 ($8,200).
  • Links to money laundering through cryptocurrency were discovered later.
  • The youth appeared in court in the northern English city of Lincoln on Tuesday and was sentenced to service in the community.
  • “This was a sophisticated cyber fraud and a complex investigation which involved our Cyber Crime Unit working collaboratively with a number of external agencies and other internal departments,” said Cyber Crime Investigator Detective Constable Luke Casey.
  • Who Will 'Win' the Trump Harris Debate?; Crypto Scams in 2023
    02:14
    Who Will 'Win' the Trump Harris Debate?; Crypto Scams in 2023
  • Bitcoin Trading Volume Jumped to $2.8T in January to August Period
    00:54
    Bitcoin Trading Volume Jumped to $2.8T in January to August Period
  • Will Bitcoin Hit $1 Million?
    23:54
    Will Bitcoin Hit $1 Million?
  • Bitcoin Is a 'Beachball' Being Pushed Underwater Now: Samson Mow
    00:59
    Bitcoin Is a 'Beachball' Being Pushed Underwater Now: Samson Mow
  • Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

    Tanzeel Akhtar

    Tanzeel Akhtar is a reporter based in London,UK.


    Read more about