German police have confiscated 50,000 bitcoins, valued at $2.17 billion, making it the largest cryptocurrency seizure in the country’s history, as reported by Reuters. This operation, announced by the police in Dresden, stands out as the most extensive bitcoin seizure by law enforcement in Germany to date.
The operation was a collective effort, involving the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), the FBI, and a Munich-based forensic IT expert company. This collaboration played a key role in executing the seizure effectively.
The focus of the investigation was on two suspects accused of running a piracy website in Germany until 2013, with the case revolving around charges of commercial money laundering. Interestingly, the suspects transferred the bitcoins to official wallets managed by the BKA voluntarily.