Russia Takes $10 Million in Bitcoin from Former Law Enforcement Official
Russia seizes 2,718 bitcoins worth $10 million from ex-ICRF official Ex-official involved in Russia's biggest bribery case Seized bitcoins to be added to government revenue
Russian authorities seized approximately $10 million worth of bitcoins from Marat Tambiyev, a former employee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF).
The raids, reported by local news agency TASS, included the confiscation of 103 bitcoins stored in a Ledger Nano X hardware wallet, which is significant in Russia's handling of digital assets in a legal context.
The biggest bribery scandal in Russian history
Tambiev's conviction stems from what has been described as the biggest bribery scandal in Russian history. It includes a 2,718 BTC bribe valued at around $258 million at the time of the fine.
The Nikulinsky District Court of Moscow previously ordered the seizure of 1,032 BTC from Tambiev in 2023, the assets of which were obtained from unconfirmed income.
The indictment against Tambiev was made public after his arrest in March 2022, when investigators found the private keys to his Bitcoin wallet in a folder called “Pensions” on his laptop.
The source of the bribe is a hacker group known as the Infraud Organization. Members of Kazakhstan and Estonia allegedly bribed Tambiv for judicial decisions, including efforts to drop their own criminal charges and conceal assets worth more than $138 million in cryptocurrency.
This case not only shows the extent of corruption in some areas of Russian governance, but also the country's shift towards cryptocurrency.
The seized bitcoins are to be merged with Russian state revenues.
As part of the legal proceedings, the confiscated bitcoins will now be integrated into Russian government revenues, a move that reflects how the country deals with digital currencies in an official capacity.
The development comes as Russia is considering cryptocurrencies for international trade, particularly to circumvent Western sanctions.
The Minister of Finance indicated openness to the use of Bitcoin in foreign trade, showing a dual approach to crypto, along with strict measures against abuse in criminal activities – one of regulation and integration.
