Czech police arrest darknet founder over $45M Bitcoin donation case

6 days ago

Czech constabulary person reportedly arrested darknet marketplace laminitis Tomas Jirikovsky successful transportation with a $45 cardinal Bitcoin donation that prompted the resignation of erstwhile Justice Minister Pavel Blazek earlier this year.

Czech constabulary intervened successful the Bitcoin (BTC) donation lawsuit that led to Blazek’s resignation connected Thursday. According to Chief State Prosecutor Radim Dragoun, authorities were “securing radical and things.” “This is simply a transgression lawsuit that was precocious separated by the constabulary authorization for autarkic proceedings from associated proceedings,” Dragoun said.

Although the connection did not notation immoderate arrests, immoderate section reports suggest that constabulary detained Tomas Jirikovsky, a convicted transgression who allegedly paid 468 BTC (worth astir $45 cardinal astatine the time) to the curate to debar a caller situation sentence.

Bitcoin donor attempts flight earlier constabulary arrest

Jirikovsky reportedly tried to flight constabulary by climbing onto the extortion of his location during the raid connected Thursday night, Deník N reported Friday.

His ex-wife confirmed the intervention, saying a neighbour alerted her to the rooftop drama. The constabulary past apprehended Jirikovsky and took him into custody, the study said.

Jirikovsky is simply a Czech programmer and the designer of the amerciable darknet marketplace Sheep Marketplace, which was linked to cause trafficking, weapons income and counterfeit goods.

Nine-year situation condemnation and parole successful 2021

According to Seznam Zprávy, Jirikovsky is estimated to person generated 680 BTC from operating Sheep Marketplace, which helium launched successful aboriginal 2013 erstwhile Bitcoin was valued astatine astir $100.

After terminating the marketplace successful December 2013 amid the shutdown of Silk Road, Jirikovsky besides reportedly stole an further 841 BTC from the platform’s buyers and sellers, bringing his idiosyncratic Bitcoin luck to astatine slightest 1,500 BTC.

In 2017, the Brno Regional Court sentenced him to 9 years successful situation for embezzlement, cause trafficking and amerciable arms possession related to Sheep Marketplace. He was released connected parole successful 2021 aft serving fractional his condemnation for bully behavior.

However, the communicative didn’t extremity there, arsenic Czech authorities ne'er recovered Jirikovsky’s Bitcoin holdings, which are suspected to beryllium acold much than 1,500 BTC.

Ongoing controversy

Czech curate Blazek faced a ungraded successful May aft accepting a Bitcoin donation from a convicted cause dealer, with section reports rapidly suggesting Jirikovsky’s involvement.

Seznam Zprávy linked the 468 BTC donation to Nucleus, different darknet marketplace holding 5,000 BTC successful its wallet and reportedly connected to the programmer.

The allegations surfaced soon aft blockchain analytics steadfast Arkham Intelligence traced a $77.5 cardinal Bitcoin transaction from a Nucleus wallet successful March 2025, the platform’s archetypal transaction successful 9 years.

According to Lucien Bourdon, a Bitcoin expert astatine Prague-based hardware wallet institution Trezor, Jirikovsky’s saga is simply a reminder that transgression BTC enactment is traceable onchain.

“While regular folks person bully privateness options, if you’re a transgression oregon a authorities Bitcoin isn’t large for moving wealth quietly,” Bourdon told Cointelegraph.

“Large transfers tin beryllium traced forever. Imagine if each fiat transaction involving governments was conscionable arsenic visible. That’s the benignant of accountability we should strive for,” helium added.

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