Authorities in Norway, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ), have reportedly seized around $6 million connected to the recent Axie Infinity heist. According to Norway’s Økokrim, this is the largest cryptocurrency seizure they have made to date.
Norway, FBI and DOJ Recover Some Funds Taken in Axie Infinity Heist
Økokrim, Norway’s National Authority for the Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crimes, confiscated 60 million kroner (approximately $5.8 million) worth of cryptocurrency linked to the attack on Axie Infinity and Sky Mavis, the developers of the non-fungible token (NFT) based online game.
The move was made in collaboration with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI):
Økokrim has seized approximately NOK 60 million worth of cryptocurrency. This is the largest crypto seizure Norwegian police have ever made.
“We work with FBI specialists on cryptocurrency tracking. Such cooperation between countries means that we as a society are stronger in the fight against profit-motivated digital crime,” said Norway’s First State Attorney Marianne Bender. However, Økokrim did not provide details of the seizure.
Axie Infinity was hacked in March of last year after the Ronin Community validators were compromised. The reported loss was $620 million at the time. “The attacker managed to control all four of Sky Mavis’ Ronin validators and one third-party validator managed by Axie DAO,” Sky Mavis stated.
According to the FBI, the heist was conducted by the North Korean hacker group Lazarus. Immediately after the attack, the hackers began a large-scale and sophisticated money laundering operation, Økokrim detailed.
In May of last year, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the cryptocurrency mixer Blender.io. The Treasury Department said Blender was used in the money laundering strategy of the North Korean Axie Infinity Heist, processing more than $20.5 million in illicit proceeds.
What do you think of the Norwegian authorities taking back stolen crypto linked to the Axie Infinity heist with the help of the Department of Justice and the FBI? Let us know in the comment section below.
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