Constabulary from the U.K city of Leicestershire issued a statement regarding the February arrest of darknet vendor, Paul Johnson, on April 18.

Johnson was jailed for eight years and is believed to have fabricated more than $2.5 million from selling narcotics online.

Leicestershire police force officer, sergeant Phil Ariss, stated that "digital media investigators accompanied officers on the warrant," leading to the seizure of roughly $375,300 in crypto avails.

Phil Ariss has specialized in crypto policing since 2022

Ariss has predominantly dealt with cryptocurrency since he joined the East Midlands Special Operations Unit Cybercrime Team in 2022, and then the National Police Chief Council's (NPCC) Cybercrime program in 2022.

"Equally more and more criminals plough to using Bitcoins and other methods of fiscal privacy, it is important we know what to look out for," stated Ariss, calculation "we regularly railroad train officers and staff about the signs of its usage, denying criminals the opportunity to benefit financially."

His work with the NPCC has seen Ariss work alongside and offering specialized training to domestic and international authorities working to tackle crypto crime.

500 crypto bribery scams target United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland residents since 2022

Ariss stated that when he first joined the police and began working as a neighborhood officer in 2008, he never would have expected it to culminate in him becoming an skilful in virtual currencies.

"I take learnt a huge corporeality most how criminals employ this as a means to attempt to remain anonymous," he said. "Information technology'due south non but been used in the illegal drugs market just in other areas including cybercrime, fraud, and blackmail."

Last month, U.M. police revealed that 562 incidents of Bitcoin (BTC)-related blackmail scams had occurred nationally over the past 2 years.

Ariss notes several instances in which individuals and businesses have been able to retrieve lost funds later authorities were able to seize crypto assets from criminals.

Innovative technologies require vigilance from police force enforcement

Ariss emphasizes the demand for constabulary enforcement to understand Bitcoin and keep abreast of the evolving cryptocurrency landscape:

"Every bit more than and more criminals plow to using Bitcoins and other methods of financial privacy, information technology is of import nosotros know what to look out for, and we regularly railroad train officers and staff virtually the signs of its usage, denying criminals the opportunity to benefit financially."