UK authorizes charges against NCA officer for alleged Bitcoin theft

The bureau liable for conducting transgression prosecutions successful England and Wales announced that a National Crime Agency (NCA) serviceman was owed to beryllium charged with the alleged theft of Bitcoin worthy astir $75,000 successful 2017.

In a March 14 notice, the Crown Prosecution Service said it had authorized the Merseyside Police to complaint NCA serviceman Paul Chowles with 15 offenses related to the alleged Bitcoin (BTC) theft “during an probe into online organized crime.” Authorities said Chowles could look 1 number of theft, 11 charges for concealing, disguising, oregon converting transgression spot and 3 counts for acquiring, utilizing oregon possessing transgression property.

The 50 Bitcoin, worthy astir $75,000 earlier the December 2017 bull run, was valued astatine much than $4.2 cardinal astatine the clip of work astatine a BTC terms of $84,541. The NCA serviceman is expected to look astatine the Liverpool Magistrates’ Court connected April 25.

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In April 2024, amendments to the UK’s Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act authorized NCA officers and section constabulary to seize crypto from suspected criminals without arresting them. The Crown Prosecution Service did not notation however Chowles allegedly stole the Bitcoin oregon whether the funds were connected to illicit activities.

Crypto policies crossed the pond

The NCA said successful December 2024 that it had seized astir $26 cardinal successful currency and crypto and arrested 84 radical arsenic portion of a planetary run to combat wealth laundering and organized crime. Some of the crypto addresses targeted by UK authorities astatine the clip “showed regular vulnerability to Garantex.” The laminitis of the Russian crypto speech was arrested successful India successful March and is expected to beryllium extradited to the US to look transgression charges. 

The UK authorities is expected to determination guardant connected creating a broad regulatory framework for integer assets successful 2025 pursuing the Labour government’s predetermination victory. The state remains a important marketplace for crypto users, with Coinbase securing support to operate from the fiscal regulatory assemblage successful February.

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