UK Police Seize £1M in Bitcoin and Crypto Linked to Darknet Markets
Avon and Somerset Police seized £1M in Bitcoin and crypto under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The assets were linked to darknet marketplaces active between 2016 and 2019.
Avon and Somerset Police said on August 27 that its Financial Investigation Unit seized cryptocurrency and cash worth £1,032,487.86 under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The forfeited assets included 20.21 Bitcoin, other crypto holdings and bank funds. The force called it its largest crypto seizure since wallet-freezing powers took effect in 2024.
Investigators said the assets belonged to a now-deceased individual previously convicted of money laundering. Using specialist tracing and cyber-investigation techniques, officers linked the holdings to darknet marketplaces active between 2016 and 2019. Blockchain records helped connect the digital assets to alleged proceeds of criminal activity, police said.
A court approved forfeiture after finding the cryptocurrency and associated funds represented proceeds of unlawful conduct. Police said recovered Proceeds of Crime Act funds are reinvested into community and policing initiatives. The case shows crypto tracing can turn historical on-chain activity into recoverable criminal property even years after the original transactions, they added.
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