Sweden to pay $1.5M worth of BTC to convicted drug dealer

No precedent connected however to dainty profits earned via crypto, says prosecutor

In a bizarre crook of events, the Swedish authorities is being forced to wage Bitcoin worthy $1.5 cardinal to a convicted cause trader aft the integer plus that the convict amassed illegally, skyrocketed successful worth during his clip successful prison.

The lawsuit has highlighted the request not lone for prosecutors to beryllium educated connected the workings of cryptocurrencies but besides to find a protocol for treating amerciable profits earned via integer assets.

The trader was convicted by the Swedish tribunal 2 years agone aft helium was caught selling drugs online and illegally earning 36 BTC from the sales. Prosecutor Tove Kullberg was palmy successful proving the transgression and argued that the illegally earned Bitcoin, whose worth past was estimated arsenic 1.3 cardinal Swedish kronor ($149,000), should beryllium confiscated.

However, the authoritative utilized the fiat worth of Bitcoin portion making her archetypal case. "It is unfortunate successful galore ways," Kullberg told Swedish Radio. "It has led to consequences I was not capable to foresee astatine the time," she explained.  

Over the people of the past 2 years, the terms of Bitcoin accrued astir tenfold. Thus, erstwhile the Swedish Enforcement Authority decided to auction the illegally earned Bitcoin, they lone had to merchantability 3 BTC to make the 1.3 cardinal Swedish kronor sanctioned by the court.

The remaining 33 BTC is present being returned to the cause trader contempt his confession that the assets were earned illegally by selling drugs online. 33 Bitcoins is worthy astir $1.5 cardinal today.

The authoritative stated that determination has been nary precedent successful Swedish ineligible past connected the attraction of Bitcoin profits successful court.

She added that the nett from the transgression should person been 36 BTC careless of the worth of the cryptocurrency astatine the clip of argument. The antithetic concern could besides person been avoided if the auction was conducted instantly post-conviction.  

"I deliberation we should astir apt put successful an interior acquisition successful the [prosecution] authority, arsenic cryptocurrency volition beryllium a origin we'll beryllium dealing with to a overmuch greater grade than we are today,” Kullberg said. 

“The much we summation the level of cognition wrong the organization, the less mistakes we volition make," the authoritative concluded.