Sindri Thor Stefansson, the alleged leader of a scheme to steal Bitcoin mining equipment, has reportedly managed to escape from prison in Iceland through a window and has fled to Sweden. Stefansson is believed to be the mastermind behind Iceland’s biggest crypto-related theft, which involved 600 computers used to mine Bitcoin.
Stefansson left Iceland on the same plane that carried Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir to Stockholm for a meeting with her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, and five Nordic prime ministers. She has not provided any comments on the escape.
Stefansson broke out of the low-security prison located in Southern Iceland and boarded a passenger plane on Tuesday by using a ticket and passport in the name of another person. The suspect was identified via CCTV cameras.
Police chief Gunnar Schram told local media:
“He had an accomplice. We are sure of that.”
The Swedish police are currently searching for Stefansson, and an international warrant has been issued for his arrest. The Icelandic police have questioned several individuals, including Stefansson’s wife.
The guards at the Sogn prison, where the suspect had been held for 11 days, didn’t report his absence until it was too late. The prison has no fences, and the inmates have access to mobile phones and the internet. Stefansson had been moved to the low-security prison because he was not considered a dangerous person.
Stefansson was among the 11 people arrested on suspicion of stealing 600 computers used as Bitcoin mining devices in what is now believed to be Iceland’s biggest theft. The total worth of the computers, which were stolen in four separate heists, is $2 million.
Helgi Gunnlaugsson, a professor at the University of Iceland, was surprised at Stefansson’s treatment. He said that keeping a high-profile suspect in a low-security prison was unusual.
“Prison breaks in Iceland usually mean someone just fled to get drunk. The underworlds are tiny and it is extremely difficult to hide, let alone flee the country,” he added.
This article appeared first on Cryptovest
