Stacks

United

Bitcoin

Silk Road

Police have arrested four suspects for allegedly kidnapping and murdering a 29-year-old foreign national Bitcoiner in Kyiv, Ukraine, after stealing $170,000 worth of Bitcoin. 
The four suspects — all male and aged between 24 and 29 — reportedly premeditated the attack, launching their assault around midnight on July 29, Kyiv Police <a href="https://www.npu.gov.ua/news/vykraly-inozemtsia-syloiu-vybyly-kryptu-ta-zadushyly-politseiski-kyieva-rozkryly-zukhvale-vbyvstvo" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">said</a>&nbsp;on July 29.
Residents contacted police after hearing screams and several people beating and forcing a man into a car. 
<figure>
 <img src="https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2024-07/cb84c4ab-356e-4940-be21-13138eaeeb19.png" alt="4 suspects forced a Bitcoiner to transfer BTC before killing him, police say">
 <figcaption style="text-align: center;">
 Footage of the victim being assaulted and dragged into the vehicle. Source: Kyiv Police
 </figcaption>
</figure>
Police said the victim was taken to an abandoned building where he was forced to transfer approximately 7 million Ukrainian hryvnias worth of Bitcoin (<a href="https://cointelegraph.com/bitcoin-price">BTC</a>) (around 2.55 BTC) before strangling the man to death and burying his body in a forest.
<figure>
 <img src="https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2024-07/d9dee944-3f65-4792-96be-96bc891fd728.png" alt="4 suspects forced a Bitcoiner to transfer BTC before killing him, police say">
 <figcaption style="text-align: center;">
 Footage of the Kyiv Police arriving at the crime scene. Source: Kyiv Police
 </figcaption>
</figure>
<a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/whistleblower-outs-wolf-of-kyiv-for-70-million-bitcoin-scam">Kyiv Police also allege</a> the four men changed the appearance and number plates of the car used to try to conceal the crime. The suspects then converted the Bitcoin into stacks of <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/us-national-debt-passes-35t-5-things-bitcoin-this-week">United States dollar</a> and euro bills before being found and detained by Kyiv Police.
<figure>
 <img src="https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2024-07/f25d2912-84a7-42ec-a282-b0ca5de5136e.png" alt="4 suspects forced a Bitcoiner to transfer BTC before killing him, police say">
 <figcaption style="text-align: center;">
 Stacks of US dollar and euro bills were seized at the crime scene. Source: Kyiv Police
 </figcaption>
</figure>
Kyiv prosecutors are looking to press charges for murder, robbery, illegal deprivation of liberty committed by an organized group of persons and concealment of crime. All four detainees face a potential <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-criminals-south-korea-life-imprisonment">life imprisonment sentence.</a>
Related: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/two-onecoin-promoters-found-dead-in-mexico">Two OneCoin Promoters Found Dead in Mexico</a>
The crypto space has been haunted by both unexplained and explainable deaths over the years. 
In 2022, a crypto millionaire’s body was found <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/missing-crypto-millionaire-found-dismembered-suitcase">dismembered in a suitcase</a> in Argentina, while another person was <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/magazine/big-questions-crypto-deaths/">beaten to death with a dumbbell</a> in Bulgaria and had their body parts flushed down a drain.
<figure>
 <img src="https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2024-07/6c6f8231-9366-4a79-acd6-02df14b23cff.png" alt="4 suspects forced a Bitcoiner to transfer BTC before killing him, police say">
 <figcaption style="text-align: center;">
 Crypto-related deaths around the world between November 2022 and September 2023. Source: Cointelegraph
 </figcaption>
</figure>
Bitcoin cypherpunk Jameson Lopp <a href="https://blog.casa.io/bitcoiners-guide-to-organized-crime/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">noted</a> many of these criminals typically identify future victims through social media posts, public conversations, meetups and conferences.
Lopp strongly advises against peer-to-peer trades — particularly with people you don’t trust — flaunting wealth on social media and wearing crypto-branded clothing.
<blockquote data-ct-non-breakable="true">
 “The general premise is that if criminals are less aware of you, they are less likely to target you.”
</blockquote>
Magazine:<a href="https://cointelegraph.com/magazine/3-4-billion-bitcoin-popcorn-tin-silk-road-hacker/"> $3.4B of Bitcoin in a popcorn tin — The Silk Road hacker’s story</a>

4 suspects forced a Bitcoiner to transfer BTC before killing him, police say

Cointelegraph

Altri articoli pubblicati su 30 lug 2024

Render Trades Bearish Amid 100x Raboo’s Dominating Rally Beyond Cardano.

What to Expect This Week as Bitcoin’s Dominance Approaches a 3-Year Peak

Pemerintah AS Gerakkan US$2 Milyar Bitcoin, Pasar Panik!

21Shares Partners With Chainlink (LINK) to Boost Transparency in Ethereum ETF

Can PEPE sustain its surge to $0.000017? Key metrics suggest…

5 Altcoins That Could See Massive Gains with Bitcoin’s Rise

Iscriviti alla nostra newsletter gratuita per aggiornamenti giornalieri sulle criptovalute!