According to Cointelegraph, a man in Queensland, Australia, had bitcoins, a waterfront mansion, and a Mercedes-Benz confiscated due to suspected criminal proceeds. The Australian Federal Police stated that these assets may be related to criminal proceeds.
The AFP-led criminal asset confiscation task force stated that on May 18, nearly 25 bitcoins, luxury homes, and cars were confiscated, with a total value of approximately 4.5 million Australian dollars. The investigation began in September 2018 when Luxembourg law enforcement shared information about suspicious Bitcoin transactions.
The AFP stated that the investigation linked the man to the theft of 950 bitcoins from a French cryptocurrency exchange in 2013. Although no criminal charges have been filed regarding the bitcoin theft, the court has ordered the confiscation of related assets.
Local media 7NEWS reported that asset owner Shane Stephen Duffy had previously pleaded guilty to selling personal data of (League of Legends) players. The AFP indicated that he utilized unique powers to confiscate assets, with proceeds to be used to support crime prevention and law enforcement measures. Since July 2019, the CACT has restricted assets worth over 1.2 billion Australian dollars.
