As a crypto investor, I’ve just learned that local news outlets are reporting a seizure of approximately $10 million in Bitcoin by the Russian government from a former law enforcement official. This serves as a reminder about the importance of understanding and complying with regulations when it comes to digital assets.
Enforcers in Russia have initiated the seizure of Bitcoins (BTC) from a past worker at the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF), as part of a substantial bribery investigation that revolves around digital currencies.
Law enforcement authorities initiated steps to confiscate approximately 103 Bitcoin (worth around $10 million) or 1 billion Russian rubles from Marat Tambiev, a former employee of ICRF, who was found guilty of cryptocurrency bribery in 2023, according to the local news agency TASS on January 8th.
In relation to the legal process, the seized Bitcoins are set to contribute to Russia’s national income. It is said that authorities obtained Tambiev’s digital wallet (a Ledger Nano X) to retrieve and confiscate the cryptocurrency assets.
(This sentence aims to provide a more conversational tone while maintaining clarity and accuracy.)
The bribe netted 2,718 BTC — the largest bribery ever seen in Russia
In Tambiev’s case, it was reported that just 4% (or roughly 103 BTC) of the overall bribe sum was confiscated.
In October 2024, Tambiev was convicted by a Russian court and sentenced to spend 16 years behind bars due to accepting a bribe valued at approximately 2,718 Bitcoins, which equated to around $258 million. This case is reportedly the largest bribery incident ever recorded in Russia, as per local news agency RBC.
2023 saw the Nikulinsky District Court in Moscow commandeer approximately $98 million worth of Bitcoin (equivalent to 1,032 BTC) from an individual named Tambiev. This action was taken because the court deemed that these assets were accumulated through sources of income that remained unverified.
Hacker group Infraud Organization behind the bribe
It’s said that Tambiev was apprehended in March 2022. Enforcement officials discovered his Bitcoin wallet private keys stored in a folder titled “Retirement” on his computer.
The authorities and the judicial system determined that Tambiev had obtained numerous Bitcoins (thousands) from a notorious hacking gang called Infraud Organization.
As a crypto investor, I find myself implicated in a report suggesting that I, along with fellow nationals Mark and Konstantin Bergman from Kazakhstan, and Kirill Samokutyaev from Estonia, allegedly bribed Tambiev for favorable procedural decisions, which included handling our own criminal case.
The probe revealed that several past employees of the ICRF were allegedly engaged in a bribery scheme, where they received illicit payments from members of the Infraud Organization hacking group.
It’s said that a bribe was allegedly proposed, with the intention of halting the legal action against hackers and concealing cryptocurrency assets valued at approximately 14 billion rubles ($138 million), as reported by TASS.
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2025-01-10 14:07