The State Bureau of Investigation has transferred seized crypto-assets worth over 372 million hryvnias to the ARMA for management
The State Bureau of Investigations has announced that seized crypto-assets have been transferred to the Asset Recovery and Management Agency as part of criminal proceedings against a transnational hacking group.
According to the investigation, SBI officers, in cooperation with the National Police’s Internal Security Directorate and US law enforcement agencies, have, for the first time in Ukraine’s history, seized and transferred the virtual assets of an organised transnational hacker group to ARMA for management.
Over 8.3 million USDT was transferred to ARMA’s crypto wallet. At the current exchange rate, this amounts to over 372 million hryvnias.
The investigation established that the virtual assets were held in crypto wallets controlled by one of the members of the international hacker group. The suspects carried out cyber-attacks on individuals and companies in European countries and the US, stole confidential information, demanded ransoms, and laundered the proceeds in Ukraine through the purchase of property, cars and other high-value assets.
According to preliminary estimates, the losses resulting from the criminal group’s activities exceed US$100 million.
As part of the pre-trial investigation, law enforcement officers detained four members of the group, including the organiser. All have been remanded in custody.
In total, assets worth over US$11.1 million have been seized as part of the criminal proceedings. These include residential properties, flats, cars, US$1 million in cash and virtual assets equivalent to over US$8.3 million.
Once the crypto-assets have been converted into fiat currency, the plan is to purchase military bonds.
The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has stated that it is continuing a series of measures aimed at documenting the activities of transnational criminal groups, recovering illegally obtained assets and bringing those responsible to justice.
The Office of the Prosecutor General is overseeing the proceedings in this case.
