UK police have confiscated 20.21 bitcoin and other crypto assets and bank funds worth about $1.4 million (£1.03 million) after tracing the money to darknet marketplaces that ran between 2016 and 2019. The Avon and Somerset Police financial investigation unit said the sites, now shut down by law enforcement, were connected to drug supply and human trafficking. This is the largest cryptocurrency seizure by the force since the UK introduced crypto wallet freezing orders in April 2024, a power that allows police to freeze and recover digital assets without making an arrest first, transfer them to wallets controlled by law enforcement, and take possession of written passwords or hardware devices. The individual linked to the seized assets had previous money laundering convictions and has since passed away. Police said blockchain's permanent record of each transaction served as a key evidence source in the case. The assets were forfeited earlier this year under the Proceeds of Crime Act after a court found they represented the proceeds of unlawful conduct. The recovered funds will be used to support community and policing projects.
The financial investigation unit of Avon and Somerset Police in England has seized 20.21 bitcoin, along with other crypto assets and bank funds, worth around $1.4 million (£1.03 million). The probe traced the money to darknet marketplaces that operated between 2016 and 2019, all of which have since been shut down by law enforcement. Those sites were linked to drug supply and human trafficking.
This marks the force's largest cryptocurrency seizure since the UK introduced crypto wallet freezing orders in April 2024. That power allows police to freeze and forfeit crypto without a prior arrest, transfer assets to law enforcement-controlled wallets, and seize written passwords or storage devices. The person associated with the assets had prior money laundering convictions and has since died.
Police noted that every transaction processed by those markets is permanently recorded on the blockchain, providing a strong evidence trail. The assets were confiscated earlier this year under the Proceeds of Crime Act, after a court ruled they represented proceeds of unlawful conduct. Recovered funds will go to community and policing projects.
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