Russia seizes 2,718 Bitcoins worth $10 million from former ICRF employee. The former official was involved in what has been called Russia’s biggest bribery scandal. The confiscated Bitcoins will be added to the state’s revenue.
Russian authorities have seized approximately $10 million worth of Bitcoin from Marat Tambiyev, a former employee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF).
The seizure, reported by local news agency TASS, includes the seizure of 103 Bitcoins stored in a Ledger Nano Showed.
The biggest bribery scandal in Russian history
Tambiyev’s conviction stems from what is said to be the largest bribery scandal in Russian history, involving a staggering 2,718 BTC in bribes, worth approximately $258 million at the time of sentencing. Ta.
Moscow’s Nikulinsky District Court had previously ordered the seizure of 1,032 BTC from Tambiyev in 2023, saying the assets originated from unverified income.
The case against Tambiyev came to light after his arrest in March 2022. Investigators found the private key to his Bitcoin wallet on his laptop in a folder named “Retirement.”
The bribes were traced back to the Infraud Organization, a notorious hacker group. Members from Kazakhstan and Estonia allegedly bribed Tambiev in exchange for favorable judicial decisions, including halting criminal prosecution against him and efforts to hide more than $138 million worth of crypto assets.
The incident not only shows the scale of corruption in certain sectors of Russian governance, but also reflects the country’s evolving attitude towards cryptocurrencies.
Confiscated Bitcoins will be included in Russia’s state revenue
As part of the legal process, the seized bitcoins will be integrated into Russia’s state revenue, a move that signals how the country treats digital currencies in its official capacity.
The move comes as Russia increasingly looks at cryptocurrencies as a means of circumventing international trade, particularly Western sanctions.
The Minister of Finance has signaled an open stance on the use of Bitcoin in foreign trade, signaling the possibility of a dual approach to cryptocurrencies: regulation and integration, alongside tough measures against its misuse in criminal activities.
