arrest

A man in Florida, USA, was arrested for allegedly stealing approximately $1.9 million worth of Bitcoin by using the mnemonic phrase of his former employer's hardware wallet. Police stated that the unauthorized transfer of the stolen funds occurred in 2020, when the suspect still had access to critical security information.

The prosecution materials released by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York show that Google security engineer Michele Spagnuolo has been arrested and charged for allegedly using significant non-public information to bet on Google user search result-related markets on Polymarket.The prosecution materials state that Spagnuolo used Google internal tools to track the list of the most searched people in 2025 and transferred approximately 3.8 million USDC to a Polymarket address; his associated account AlphaRaccoon placed a bet that D4vd would become one of the most searched people in late November after accessing internal tools for several hours.The prosecution materials also state that AlphaRaccoon transferred 5 million USDC from the Polymarket account to a wallet and moved the funds through exchange services and privacy tools, with some of the funds ultimately entering an account at a payment processing institution in Italy. Spagnuolo is accused of profiting over 1.2 million dollars from the related transactions and currently faces charges of commodity fraud, telecommunications fraud, and money laundering.

According to a news release from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Hong Kong police announced that they have joined law enforcement agencies from 9 countries and regions, including Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand, to combat cross-border fraud and money laundering activities. This operation took place from March 10 to May 7, resulting in the arrest of 3,018 individuals, involving over 138,000 fraud cases, with total losses of approximately $752 million (about HKD 5.89 billion).During the operation, law enforcement agencies froze a total of 101,989 bank accounts and successfully intercepted approximately $161 million (about HKD 1.26 billion) in fraudulent funds. Among them, the Hong Kong police arrested 870 individuals and intercepted approximately HKD 539 million in funds. The largest case involved a Singapore company that was defrauded of $36 million (about HKD 280 million), with the related funds subsequently flowing into multiple bank accounts in Hong Kong and other regions. About half of this amount was converted into stablecoins and dispersed into different virtual asset wallets, with the police successfully freezing $20 million of these funds after tracking.Investigations show that money laundering through virtual asset platforms is on the rise, and various regions need to continue enhancing their capabilities to respond to crimes involving virtual assets through intelligence sharing and collaborative mechanisms.

According to Hong Kong's East Network, a 34-year-old man from the mainland traveled to Hong Kong with a two-way permit. During his time there, he reportedly lost about 500,000 yuan on a cryptocurrency platform and, feeling frustrated, expressed suicidal tendencies on social media and planned to go to Hong Kong.Law enforcement agencies launched an investigation after receiving relevant information and intercepted the man at around 12:30 PM on May 14 at a fast-food restaurant on Admiralty Road. A lighter and suspected gasoline were found on him. The police arrested him on suspicion of "possessing any item with the intent to destroy or damage property" and he is currently being detained for investigation.Reports indicate that no one was injured in the incident, and there was no need for evacuation at the scene. The man is said to have complained multiple times to the relevant platform about his investment losses but did not receive a satisfactory response.

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs announced a reward of up to $4 million under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program for information leading to the arrest of Daren Li, who assisted various scam centers in Southeast Asia in laundering their proceeds.According to court documents, Daren Li laundered funds obtained from victims through cryptocurrency scams and related fraudulent means, instructing accomplices to open U.S. bank accounts in the name of shell companies, and monitored the interstate and international wire transfers of victim funds. At least $73.6 million of victim funds were directly deposited into bank accounts associated with him and his accomplices, including at least $59.8 million from U.S. shell companies involved in laundering the proceeds obtained from defrauded victims.

According to public records from the New York Criminal Court, Believe founder Benjamin Pasternak was arrested on charges of second-degree extortion and assault, and is scheduled to appear in court on June 11.He was previously accused of being involved in a token withdrawal scheme that involved millions of dollars. The platform's native token BELIEVE is currently trading at approximately $0.00075, down over 99% from its historical high of $0.3569 set in 2025.

According to DL News, a 40-year-old cryptocurrency industry worker in Saint-Jean-de-Védas, near Montpellier, France, was the victim of an attempted armed robbery at home.The suspect disguised as a delivery person entered the house and demanded the victim hand over the private key to their cryptocurrency wallet; the victim took advantage of the suspect's distraction to tackle them and seize the handgun. Gunshots were fired at the scene, but no one was injured. The suspect then fled, and after three days of pursuit, the police arrested them. The local court has charged the suspect with attempted armed robbery, and the prosecution stated that they may have been instructed by a mastermind behind the scenes.

According to DL News, Argentine police arrested a Chinese national (abbreviated as DZ) at Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport. The suspect arrived from Paris holding a forged Paraguayan passport and has been listed as a wanted suspect by Interpol.A Nigerian court has accused him of orchestrating a cryptocurrency scam locally, attracting investors with the promise of "high returns," but victims were later unable to withdraw funds or access the platform, with the amount involved approximately $49.4 million. Argentine authorities stated they would cooperate with Nigeria to initiate extradition procedures.

According to DL News, several "revenge intermediary" organizations in South Korea that use cryptocurrency as a payment method have been active recently. These organizations take orders via Telegram, providing services such as intimidation, assaults, and even murders disguised as accidents, requiring clients to pay a 50% deposit in USDT, and promising to send action videos recorded by body cameras via Telegram.Although the main suspect was arrested on April 3, related online advertisements continued to be published on April 13. The South Korean police have launched investigations into over 50 related cases this year, arresting about 30 people, and determining that all cases involve cryptocurrency payments.

A 27-year-old German hacker, Noah Christopher, was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand, facing up to 74 arrest warrants for cyber crimes in Europe.Investigations show that this individual is suspected of developing and operating a ransomware platform and a "cybercrime-as-a-service" (CaaS) system between 2021 and 2025, including providing distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack tools (such as Fluxstress and Neldowner), assisting global clients in launching cyber attacks and charging fees, with related ransom payments involving cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, constituting transnational cybercrime activities. His visa has been revoked, and he is currently detained awaiting extradition to Germany.

According to The Street, Goliath Ventures, a cryptocurrency company based in Florida, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in the Southern District of Florida.The company is alleged to be linked to a $328 million Ponzi scheme, with over 2,000 victim investors, including Gregory Wilson, who lost approximately $8.74 million, and John Euliano, who lost about $1.28 million. Additionally, plaintiffs have filed a class-action lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase early next month, accusing it of turning a blind eye to suspicious transactions involving Goliath Ventures.Previously, Goliath Ventures' former CEO Christopher Alexander Delgado was arrested for allegedly being involved in the $328 million Ponzi scheme and faces charges of wire fraud and money laundering. Delgado lured victims under the guise of investing in cryptocurrency liquidity pools and promising monthly returns, but the funds were used to pay returns to earlier investors, purchase luxury homes, and finance extravagant activities.

According to FinanceFeeds, the Central Bureau of Investigation of India has arrested suspect Sunil Nellathu Ramakrishnan (also known as Krish), who is suspected of being involved in a transnational human trafficking network related to Southeast Asian online fraud activities, and is identified as a key coordinator of the cross-border fraud network.This network lured Indian citizens to Thailand through fake recruitment and then transported them to scam hubs in Myanmar, Cambodia, and other places, forcing them to engage in activities such as cryptocurrency investment fraud and romance scams. Law enforcement agencies stated that such crimes utilize cryptocurrency assets for cross-border fund transfers, increasing the difficulty of tracking, and related investigations are still ongoing.

According to market news, the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security has arrested several suspects related to the cryptocurrency platform ONUS, accusing them of issuing and promoting tokens such as VNDC, ONUS, and HNG through the Onus platform, manipulating supply and demand and prices through false advertising and coordinated trading, thereby illegally appropriating investors' funds.The police stated that the gang exercised highly concentrated control over the relevant token market, raising funds amounting to billions of dollars, but did not disclose specific losses. The named suspects include Vuong Le Vinh Nhan, related to ONUS Pro's Singapore parent company XPLOR, ONUS exchange technical administrator Tran Quang Chien, and Ngo Thi Thao, head of HanaGold Jewelry JSC. The Vietnamese police launched operations in multiple locations, summoning over 140 people and seizing relevant evidence. ONUS and its parent company Vemanti have not yet released detailed statements regarding the case.

According to CoinTelegraph, the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security recently arrested several individuals related to the cryptocurrency platform ONUS, accusing them of inducing investors to purchase tokens such as VNDC, ONUS, and HNG through false advertising, coordinating wash trading, and artificially manipulating token prices, with the amount involved reportedly reaching billions of dollars.Those arrested include Vuong Le Vinh Nhan, a person related to ONUS Pro's parent company XPLOR, platform technical administrator Tran Quang Chien, and Ngo Thi Thao, director of HanaGold Jewelry JSC. The investigation spans multiple cities, and the police have summoned over 140 people to cooperate with the investigation and seized relevant evidence. The ONUS platform has not yet made an official response regarding this matter.

According to Decrypt, the Central Bureau of Investigation in India has arrested Mumbai resident Sunil Nellathu Ramakrishnan, accusing him of being a key figure in a transnational trafficking network that lured multiple Indians to cryptocurrency scam parks in the Myawaddy region of Myanmar.The victims were transported from Delhi to Bangkok under the guise of legitimate work and then transferred to scam parks such as KK Park, where they were forced to engage in pig butchering scams and cryptocurrency investment fraud, and suffered illegal detention and physical abuse. The agency stated that intelligence provided by Indian victims who escaped from the parks and were repatriated last year led to the successful identification and arrest of Ramakrishnan. Interpol has classified the scam park network as a transnational criminal threat, affecting victims in over 60 countries. The United States has previously frozen over $580 million in related cryptocurrency assets, and one "pig butchering" organizer has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The Hong Kong police announced the progress of the investigation into the JPEX virtual asset trading platform fraud case, revealing that since the investigation began, a total of 80 people have been arrested, and assets totaling approximately HKD 228 million have been frozen. Another round of prosecution actions has been taken, charging 10 individuals with "money laundering" and "conspiracy to commit money laundering."Chief Inspector Han Chenghao of the Hong Kong Police Commercial Crime Bureau stated that the JPEX case is the largest in terms of the number of victims and the amount of money defrauded in recent years in Hong Kong, with over 2,700 victims reporting losses exceeding HKD 1.6 billion. Since the incident, no company or individual has admitted to being the actual operator, and the police need to conduct extensive investigations to clarify who the masterminds, core members, or accomplices behind JPEX are.

According to DL News, David Balland, co-founder of the French company Ledger, was kidnapped by a criminal gang in January 2025. The assailants cut off his fingers and demanded a ransom of $11.5 million in Bitcoin. After the incident, the police acted quickly, rescuing Balland and his partner, and arrested 10 suspects at the scene, but one suspect escaped to Spain amid the chaos. After weeks of joint pursuit by the police of both countries, the suspect was eventually captured in Benalmádena, Spain.Currently, the Fuengirola court is advancing the extradition process based on the European Arrest Warrant agreement, and French authorities have confirmed that they have identified and arrested all individuals involved.

According to Cripto Noticias, a kidnapping incident aimed at stealing BTC and cryptocurrency private keys occurred recently in Madrid, Spain. A 33-year-old Canadian cryptocurrency entrepreneur was forcibly pushed into a rented van with altered license plates by several men. Witnesses immediately called the police, and the Spanish National Police intercepted the vehicle near Atocha Station, successfully rescuing the victim. Two Serbian suspects, aged 32 and 45, were arrested on the spot, while another suspect remains at large.According to police investigations, this kidnapping was a premeditated act. The victim had previously traveled from Barcelona to Madrid for financial business discussions and was suspected to have been tracked by the suspects beforehand. The suspects intended to use personal coercion to force the victim to hand over the mnemonic phrase and private keys of the cryptocurrency wallet, a method known in the security field as a "wrench attack." Police seized plastic zip ties and pills as tools used in the crime from the vehicle. Additionally, the suspects attempted to steal a luxury watch worth 100,000 euros from the victim. The victim was not seriously injured, and the case is still under investigation.This case is one of a series of personal attacks against cryptocurrency holders in Europe in 2026, with France recording 11 related cases this year.

According to the Hong Kong Commercial Daily, the Hong Kong police launched an operation codenamed "Thunder Drum," targeting a fraud group that claims to offer low-interest loans and collects deposits in cryptocurrency. Within two days, they arrested 3 men and 3 women (aged between 29 and 63) across various districts in Hong Kong on suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud. Some suspects have connections to organized crime, and the operation is still ongoing.Since November 2025, this fraud group has been randomly calling victims, posing as bank employees to promote low-interest loans. They lure victims to a fake office rented under a shell company in Central to sign contracts and require them to pay deposits as proof of assets. The methods of payment include cash, bank transfers to dummy accounts, and cryptocurrency payments, with the latter primarily targeting older individuals or those unfamiliar with technology.A total of 13 victims are involved, with diverse backgrounds, some holding associate or master's degrees, including businessmen and company owners, with total losses amounting to approximately 5 million Hong Kong dollars. The police seized various documents and computers as evidence at the scene.

According to DL News, police in the Île-de-France region of France arrested two teenagers (aged 15 and 17) and a 35-year-old man, all suspected of carrying out two armed kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency holders on March 10 in the Île-de-France region.Reports indicate that the first incident occurred in the Essonne department in the southern suburbs of Paris, where the suspects, wearing masks and carrying small explosive devices, attempted to break into the home of a cryptocurrency holder but failed. About 30 minutes later, another incident took place in the Seine-et-Marne department, where the suspects successfully broke into the home of a female cryptocurrency holder, kidnapped her family, and stole jewelry; it has not been disclosed whether cryptocurrency assets were also stolen.The police subsequently tracked the suspects' vehicle, deploying about 100 armed special police officers and two police helicopters to pursue them, intercepting the vehicle after approximately 6 hours and discovering the stolen jewelry inside. Prosecutors have charged the three individuals with extortion, organized crime, armed robbery, property damage, and kidnapping. Currently, the 17-year-old suspect and the 35-year-old man are in custody awaiting trial, while the 15-year-old suspect is under judicial supervision, and prosecutors have appealed this decision.