For the first time in Ukraine, a cryptocurrency linked to a hacker group that carried out attacks on companies and individuals in Europe and the United States has come under state control.
RBC-Ukraine reported this, citing a statement on Telegram by Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.
“Today, more than 8.3 million USDT—equivalent to over 372 million UAH—was transferred to ARMA’s crypto wallet. This is the first instance in which seized crypto assets have effectively been transferred to state management,” Kravchenko noted.
The cryptocurrency in question was stored in wallets controlled by a member of an international hacking group. According to the investigation, members of this group carried out cyberattacks on citizens and companies in Europe and the United States, stole confidential information, demanded ransoms, and laundered the proceeds in Ukraine by purchasing real estate, cars, and other high-value assets.
The losses resulting from this group’s activities are estimated at over $100 million.
As part of the investigation, law enforcement agencies detained four members of the group, including its organizer. All of them are currently in custody.
In total, assets worth over $11.1 million have been seized in connection with the case, including residential buildings, apartments, cars, approximately $1 million in cash, and cryptocurrency worth over $8.3 million.
“Modern crime has long since moved into the digital realm. And investigations into cybercrimes have long extended beyond Ukraine’s borders,” the Prosecutor General concluded.
Cybercrime remains one of the most lucrative areas of activity for organized criminal groups. Earlier, the SBU, together with law enforcement agencies from Latvia and Lithuania, uncovered a large-scale fraud scheme in Dnipro.
