After two raids earlier this month yielded a number of blockchain-powered digital certificates and an undisclosed amount of cryptocurrency, Dutch police are celebrating their first ever NFTs seizure. The NFTs were taken two weeks ago, according to local news outlet NLTimes, when officials raided homes in Weesp and Hilversum in the north of the country.
The raids were part of a larger probe into widespread unlawful data-selling. Two guys, aged 19 and 23, were arrested on suspicion of using stolen data to steal crypto tokens such as NFTs. The Dutch authorities have not said what the NFTs are or how they got access to them. However, a tech expert told Dutch news source NOS that investigators were likely able to seize the NFTs by obtaining the defendants’ private keys through a court order.
The cops also don’t know what to do with the seized cash – or even how much it’s worth. According to reports, a Dutch court will make the decision. “If the judge allows us to auction them, it will be evident what they will bring,” a police spokeswoman added (via NOS). The crypto collected in the raids adds to the Netherlands’ significant and ever-growing list of digital assets seized. Last year, Dutch police seized roughly €35 million ($39 million) in cryptocurrency.
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