A 29-year-old man suspected of laundering the proceeds of drug trafficking was arrested in Neufs (France).
According to the information provided, the defendant created a cryptocurrency mixer at the request of a drug dealer “Drugsource” who made a profit by selling drugs through the “dark web”. It is known that Drugsource has fulfilled more than 3000 orders worth more than USD 1.5 million during its operation.
The investigation into the drug trafficker’s activities began in early September 2020. Law enforcement agencies made a control purchase and were able to obtain the address of the trafficker’s wallet. After analyzing the blockchain, the police came across a 29-year-old man whose account had been used for 14 transactions by the drug dealer. The police were able to find and arrest the accused in September 2022.
The hearing in the case of the 29-year-old defendant was scheduled for January 2023. The defendant claimed responsibility for creating the bitcoin tumbler for Drugsource, but he denied any involvement in drug sales. The court nevertheless acquitted him of drug trafficking charges, but he was facing imprisonment for money laundering on a large scale.
USD 500,000 was confiscated from the offender’s cryptocurrency and bank accounts, and his apartment in Dubai was also seized. The defendant is awaiting sentencing in February 2023 on charges of money laundering obtained from the sale of drugs.
