Dutch police for 2020 year withdrew cryptocurrencies for 8 million – Bits Media

According to the Dutch prosecutor's office, during 2020 years, the country's authorities confiscated cryptocurrencies from criminals in the amount of about 8 million. For 2019 year the amount of confiscations was 1.1 million.

Prosecutor Anita van Dis (Anita van Dis) reported, what in 2020 year the criminals were seized funds in the amount 303 million. From this number 8 Milln euros were in cryptocurrencies. This is almost eight times higher than the indicators 2019 of the year, during which the Dutch law enforcement agencies seized cryptocurrencies for 1.1 million euros.

In part, such a sharp increase in this indicator can be explained by confiscation from several addresses, belonging to the "whale", which store a large number of cryptocurrencies. At the same time, Van Dis noted, that recently in the country there has been a sharp increase in crimes, for which cryptocurrencies are used. Nonetheless, Judging by the above numbers, Attackers still prefer fiat money.

Unlike other countries, the authorities of which are stored by the seized crypto assets before the court decision, The Netherlands Prosecutor's Office will immediately convert them to the euro. The prosecutor's office applies a similar approach to fiat currencies, Whether the US dollars or pounds sterling. The Netherlands prosecutor explained, that does not want to give an impression, as if she is speculating with “criminal” assets. For example, USA and UK practice open sale of seized cryptocurrencies. FROM 2014 US authorities sold at auctions 185 230 BTC.

The Netherlands excessively tighten control over the cryptocurrency industry. Last year, the Ministry of Finance of the Netherlands proposed to establish additional fees for firms, working with digital assets. However, many companies began to express discontent, that the proposed fees exceed the amounts, stipulated by the fifth directive of the European Union to combat money laundering (AMLD5).

Later, the Central Bank of the Netherlands demanded, so that local cryptocurrency exchanges introduce additional measures to check the personality of users.