Key Takeaways
- The seized amount of 1,032.1 BTC belonged to Marat Tambiev, a former officer in the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation
- Tambiev was convicted of accepting bribes in BTC from members of a hacker group called the Infraud Organization.
The Russian government has confiscated more than $10 million worth of Bitcoin from a former law enforcement official, marking the country’s largest bribery case involving crypto.
The seized amount of 1,032.1 BTC belonged to Marat Tambiev, a former officer in the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF). Authorities have decided to sell the Bitcoin, with the proceeds going into state revenue.
Tambiev was convicted of accepting bribes in Bitcoin from members of a hacker group called the Infraud Organization. Prosecutors revealed that these bribes were intended to influence legal proceedings and help conceal large amounts of stolen crypto assets. In October 2024, Tambiev received a 16-year prison sentence for his role in the corruption case.
The investigation uncovered that Tambiev had accepted a total of 2,718 BTC, valued at around $258 million at the time of the transactions. However, only a portion of the BTC, amounting to around $10 million, has been recovered so far.
Authorities faced challenges in recovering the full amount because Tambiev had divided the Bitcoin into multiple accounts. His private keys were stored on a Ledger Nano X hardware wallet, which investigators found on his laptop in a folder labeled “Retirement.” Some of the funds were also allegedly passed to his family members, including his uncle, who is now a co-defendant.
The bribery case dates back to 2022, when Tambiev was arrested, and prosecutors began connecting him to the Infraud Organization. The group, which includes members from Kazakhstan and Estonia, reportedly paid bribes to Tambiev and other officials in exchange for halting legal actions against them.
In 2023, a Moscow court ruled that the confiscated Bitcoin was unverified income and ordered its seizure. However, accessing and liquidating the funds proved complicated. Each account required separate court rulings, delaying the process.
Despite these obstacles, the government has started selling Bitcoin, and the recovered funds will be added to the state treasury. Still, the seized 1,032 BTC represents only a small portion of the total bribes.
The latest development comes days after Russia announced a ban on crypto mining in 10 regions in the country.
