Dylan Wagemans
A COURT clerk from Marbella has stolen €19 million in cryptocurrencies that were seized from scams and internet fraudsters.
The crypto assets were seized by the Policia Nacional last September and were made available to the court in Marbella that investigated the cases.
When the Ministry of Justice’s Office of Asset Recovery and Management tried to convert the cryptocurrencies into euros in January, it found that the wallets were completely empty.
Someone had stolen €19 million in virtual money, and it was someone from within the department.
Investigators were able to corner a court clerk of the Administration of Justice, who was involved in the investigation of the original case.
The clerk was arrested just before Easter and confessed to the theft.
The suspect is a civil servant that has passed many exams and background checks, and was considered to be a hard worker.
He would have gained access to the money because he managed to intercept a letter that contained passwords to the crypto wallets when it was delivered to the Marbella court.
Police opened an investigation to find out who had stolen the crypto, but ended up with many dead-ends.
However, the investigators discovered a clue that was ultimately deemed fundamental.
The clerk defined himself as a crypto investor and purchased a digital storage space for the wallet passwords.
Searches at his house confirmed the investigators’ suspicions.
