By PAUL O’DONOGHUE, Senior Correspondent
DUTCH police seized a USB drive which had data to access €2 million worth of crypto after finding the device in a shoe.
The confiscation came after police arrested a man and woman in Breda, a city in the south of the Netherlands.
FIU Netherlands, the Dutch financial crime agency, said the pair “ stood out for their lavish lifestyle”.
It said at the same time, “it remained unclear how they earned their income”.
“After a report was made to FIU Netherlands, [we] launched an investigation,” it said.
“During a search in Breda, police found expensive designer clothing, a Porsche Panamera, designer bags, and expensive jewelry. They also seized approximately €600,000 worth of cryptocurrency.
“Officers also found a hardware wallet hidden in a shoe,” it said, separate to the €600,000 seized.
Police initially could not find the code to access the crypto wallet.
“One of the suspects was released shortly after the initial arrest,” FIU Netherlands said.
“But it soon came to light that he intended to siphon off his crypto assets. The suspect was therefore arrested again.
“This time, police found the hardware wallet’s PIN code during the arrest. Using this code, the police managed to seize the cryptocurrency on the hardware wallet. [It was] estimated to be worth €2 million. Assets for which there was no explanation.”
FIU Netherlands said the investigation was initially triggered by a suspicious transaction report from a trader.
“He reported to us that the suspect had spent thousands of euros in cash on a luxury item,” the organization said.
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