Australian authorities seize crypto and luxury assets
Authorities in Australia seized $2.9 million worth of Bitcoin and assets related to crypto fraud.
An Australian man from Queensland has lost almost $2.9 million in assets, which include nearly 25 Bitcoin (BTC), a luxury waterfront mansion, and a Mercedes-Benz sedan, after authorities linked them to a historic crypto hack of 2013, according to reports.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed on May 18 that these were confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act, which empowers authorities to seize assets suspected of being linked to criminal activity, even if no formal charges are ever laid.
Investigations trace back to global crypto tip-off
Based on a tip-off from Luxembourg authorities regarding suspicious Bitcoin transactions, the investigation began in 2018. The AFP traced the transactions to a man previously convicted of hacking a US gaming firm. Local media named him, even though the police did not mention him in all their statements.
Duffy was convicted of fraud and computer hacking in 2016 for obtaining and selling players’ personal information in the online game League of Legends. He allegedly hijacked the X (formerly Twitter) account of Marc Merrill, president of Riot Games, to promote his data-selling services. Nevertheless, he was not charged in relation to the initial hack of Riot Games in 2011.
Authorities suspect Duffy’s role in connection with the 2013 theft of 950 bitcoins from a French crypto exchange. Although no criminal charges were filed relating to this alleged theft, the AFP obtained a court order to seize his assets, as they could not be linked to any legitimate income.
Court rules in favor of asset forfeiture
When authorities restrained the property, car, and Bitcoin in July 2023, their combined value was approximately $2.6 million. On 22 April 2025, the District Court of Queensland ordered the forfeiture. The court used the Bitcoin price at the time of seizure, which could potentially be worth much more today.
The AFP commander, Jason Kennedy, said the agency is endowed with “unique powers” under the Proceeds of Crime Act to seize suspected criminal proceeds. He stated that the AFP’s Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT) has been targeting items involved in cybercrime since 2019. CACT has restrained an estimated $770 million in suspected illegal assets thus far, including crypto, luxury cars, and real estate.
Asset proceeds will fund crime prevention
The sale of the forfeited assets will lend all proceeds to the Commonwealth Confiscated Assets Account to fund community safety and crime prevention programs.
This case forms part of an ongoing wider AFP effort in combating financially motivated cybercrime, as digital currencies continue to play a significant role in international crime.
