German law enforcement announced the temporary seizure of approximately 50,000 Bitcoins (BTC) worth approximately $2.17 billion in an operation against commercial pirate websites. This operation, which took place in mid-January 2024, marks the largest Bitcoin seizure by German authorities to date.
The operation was carried out jointly by the Dresden Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the Saxony State Criminal Police Office and the tax investigation department of the Leipzig II tax office, known as the Saxony Integrated Investigation Unit (INES). The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), the FBI and a Munich-based computer forensic specialist firm also provided additional support.
The seized Bitcoins were voluntarily transferred by a defendant to government wallets provided by BKA. Since this is a temporary seizure, the final decision on the disposal of Bitcoins has not yet been made.
Ongoing investigations focus primarily on suspicions of unauthorized commercial use of copyrighted works under the Copyright Act and subsequent commercial money laundering. The investigations are directed against two individuals, a 40-year-old German and a 37-year-old Polish man, who were responsible for a leading German hacker portal until the end of May 2013. It is claimed that these people purchased BTC with the income they earned from their illegal activities.
*This is not investment advice.