A French couple was robbed by fake police officers and forced to hand over approximately $1 million worth of Bitcoin.
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A former Ukrainian police officer is suspected of kidnapping a crypto entrepreneur and demanding over $2.2 million in ransom.
According to Odaily Odaily, the Kyiv District Prosecutor's Office in Ukraine has completed a preliminary investigation into a group that includes four former police officers and one civilian with a criminal record. The group is suspected of kidnapping crypto entrepreneurs and extorting over $2.2 million through violence, intimidation, and false debt claims. Prosecutors allege that the individuals involved targeted at least four victims, using law enforcement skills, official vehicles, and police identities to commit crimes and coerce victims into handing over funds and signing documents indicating non-existent debts. In one case, a Kyiv victim was kidnapped at gunpoint and forced to sign a false debt document for $5 million. Prosecutors charge the individuals with creating and participating in an armed gang, kidnapping, unlawful detention, robbery, extortion, and illegal possession of drugs. The gang's activities were dismantled in November 2025, all individuals involved have been relieved of their duties, and the case materials have been transferred to the court. (Decrypt)
South Korean police closed the case involving the theft of $1.6 million in Bitcoin without conducting an audit, and the officers involved were not held accountable.
PANews reported on June 24 that, according to the Chosun Ilbo, Seoul police failed to conduct an internal audit of the 22 BTC (approximately $1.6 million) lost from the evidence storage room, nor did they take disciplinary action against those responsible. The report confirmed that the officer in charge of the evidence storage at the time of the loss was not held accountable. The Gangnam Police Station in Seoul seized the Bitcoin in November 2021 during a financial hacking investigation; the assets were stored in a cold wallet USB device. During an evidence inspection in 2022, authorities found the wallet empty. Police admitted they should have transferred the assets to a police-controlled cold wallet but failed to do so, claiming that relevant guidelines had not yet been issued at the time. However, the report found that police had internally discussed and suggested a more secure storage method as early as July 2021, which the Gangnam Station did not adopt. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated that it is currently reviewing the storage of virtual assets seized after March 2022.
A man in Hong Kong, China, was defrauded of 1.6 million USDT by a fake cryptocurrency exchange operator; the suspect is still at large.
According to Mars Finance, on June 12, Hong Kong local media reported that Hong Kong police received a report on June 5 from a man who claimed he was defrauded of 1.6 million USDT (approximately HK$14 million) by a fake exchange operator when exchanging virtual currency. Following preliminary investigation, the police classified the case as "obtaining property by deception" and handed it over to the 10th team of the Mong Kok District Criminal Investigation Team for follow-up. No arrests have been made so far. Police reminded the public that obtaining property by deception is a serious crime, and upon conviction, the maximum penalty is 14 years imprisonment.
Brazilian police have dismantled a cryptocurrency money laundering network linked to the PCC, involving nearly $2 billion.
According to Foresight News News, Brazilian federal police launched Operation "Exchange" on Friday, targeting a criminal organization linked to the First Capital Command (PCC), Brazil's Specially Designated Global Terrorist Group (SDGT). This organization is accused of using cryptocurrency and cash to launder money and transfer illicit funds from Florida to Brazil. The operation involved 50 police officers who executed 13 search and seizure warrants and 11 provisional arrest warrants at multiple locations in São Paulo state. Authorities estimate that the criminals laundered nearly $2 billion through this money laundering scheme, mixing peer-to-peer transactions, large bank transactions, and cash transactions. However, as the investigation is ongoing, it has not yet been determined whether any exchanges were involved. On July 1, two suspects, Victor Henrique de Oliveira Shimada and Stella Stefanie Nunes Henrique de Oliveira, who were suspected of involvement in the organization, were added to the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list along with three Brazilian companies and one Portuguese company due to their affiliation with the First Capital Command (PCC).
French cryptocurrency platform Paymium receives EU MiCA license from AMF.
PANews reported on June 24th that, according to Le Figaro, French cryptocurrency platform Paymium announced it has received a formal EU MiCA license from the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF), allowing it to continue providing cryptocurrency trading services in the EU after the new regulations take effect. Founded in 2011, the company claims to be the only operating cryptocurrency exchange in France and boasts over 230,000 global clients, including individuals and institutions. The report notes that MiCA will fully take effect by the end of 2024, and platforms that fail to obtain authorization from their national regulators by June 30th will be forced to cease operations. To date, only about 20 companies in France have received approval, and about 50 have not yet submitted applications; across Europe, approximately 200 companies have been certified.
Hong Kong police have busted a HK$230 million cryptocurrency money laundering case, and a mainland Chinese woman has been sentenced to 47.5 months in prison.
According to HK01, Hong Kong police have cracked a cross-border money laundering case. The syndicate used 43 Hong Kong bank accounts between June and September 2024 to process funds from 34 fraud cases, totaling approximately HK$18 million. They are also suspected of laundering up to HK$230 million in illicit proceeds through cryptocurrency transactions via these bank accounts. Police investigations revealed that a 34-year-old woman from mainland China allegedly opened multiple dummy bank accounts in Hong Kong to assist the criminal syndicate in laundering approximately HK$9.29 million in illicit gains. She was also accused of purchasing cryptocurrency through virtual asset exchange shops to conceal the source and flow of funds. The woman was sentenced to 47.5 months in prison. Hong Kong police remind the public that assisting criminal syndicates in handling funds can result in up to 10 years imprisonment, and money laundering offenses can carry a maximum penalty of a HK$5 million fine and 14 years imprisonment.