Quebec officials put out a note earlier this week trying to refute allegations that cryptocurrencies were a magnet for illicit transactions. As news of the note circulated in the crypto community, Murphy’s Law started to play out.
If it could go wrong, it did. Several incidents surfaced in which illicit transactions involving cryptocurrencies and crimes were reported.
Here, we’ll go over some of them.
Quebec’s thinking
The chief scientist for Quebec’s government dismissed the overwhelming belief that Bitcoin was a “magnet” for illicit transactions. Furthermore, the widely perceived notion that cryptos are mainly the tool of choice for criminal activity is erroneous, Quebec officials tried to convey.
Agence Science-Presse and Fonds de Recherche du Québec, a government research fund, looked into the matter.
In an article published in its “The Rumor Detector” publication called “Bitcoin above the law? False,” some of the ways Bitcoin can be manipulated are discussed.
It’s noted that there are many things that Bitcoin can be blamed for - anonymity, risky investing - but the facts do not support the theory of crime.
“Bitcoin is not above the law, nor is it a magnet for illicit transactions: it forms only a tiny part of the criminal money circulating around the planet. The reason: it is less attractive for anyone who wants to make transactions without leaving a trace.”
Hitman for Bitcoin
In Chicago, Ill., a woman took to the Dark Web in search of someone to carry out the most heinous crime one can commit – murder. She was searching for a hitman to kill her lover’s wife.
For the deed, she was willing to pay more than $10,000 in Bitcoin. She was caught and arrested.
Drugs
We told you earlier this week about the Australian Border Force (ABF) arresting a woman on suspicion that she imported Ecstasy, as well as opioids Fentanyl and Oxycodone. Fentanyl is believed to be between 50 and 100 times more potent than Morphine, making it more difficult for recreational users to determine a safe amount of dosage.
She also took to the Dark Web to make her purchases using Bitcoin.
Stolen electricity
We also reported to you about Russian police initiating criminal investigations against two entrepreneurs for illegal crypto mining. The two allegedly created a mining farm on the site of an abandoned industrial rubber goods plant in Orenburg.
While investigating the crime scene, police officers discovered more than 6,000 pieces of operating mining equipment with power cables connected to the electric power substation located nearby.
Bitcoin fugitive
Then there’s the case of a man who’d been arrested, along with 10 others, for the theft of 600 computers that were being used to mine virtual currencies.
The alleged mastermind, Sindri Thor Stefansson, made headlines this week after escaping from prison and fleeing to Sweden on a passenger plane that was also carrying Iceland's prime minister.
According to BBC, an international warrant has been issued for Stefansson's arrest and Swedish police are now involved in the search.
This article appeared first on Cryptovest
