Czech police have reportedly arrested darknet market founder Tomas Jirikovsky in reference to a $45 million Bitcoin donation that prompted the resignation of former Justice Minister Pavel Blazek earlier this yr.
Czech police intervened within the Bitcoin (BTC) donation case that led to Blazek’s resignation on Thursday. In response to Chief State Prosecutor Radim Dragoun, authorities had been “securing individuals and issues.” “It is a felony case that was not too long ago separated by the police authority for impartial proceedings from joint proceedings,” Dragoun stated.
Though the assertion didn’t point out any arrests, some native stories counsel that police detained Tomas Jirikovsky, a convicted felony who allegedly paid 468 BTC (value round $45 million on the time) to the minister to keep away from a brand new jail sentence.
Bitcoin donor makes an attempt escape earlier than police arrest
Jirikovsky reportedly tried to flee police by climbing onto the roof of his residence in the course of the raid on Thursday evening, Deník N reported Friday.
His ex-wife confirmed the intervention, saying a neighbor alerted her to the rooftop drama. The police then apprehended Jirikovsky and took him into custody, the report stated.
Jirikovsky is a Czech programmer and the architect of the unlawful darknet market Sheep Market, which was linked to drug trafficking, weapons gross sales and counterfeit items.
9-year jail sentence and parole in 2021
In response to Seznam Zprávy, Jirikovsky is estimated to have generated 680 BTC from working Sheep Market, which he launched in early 2013 when Bitcoin was valued at round $100.
After terminating {the marketplace} in December 2013 amid the shutdown of Silk Street, Jirikovsky additionally reportedly stole a further 841 BTC from the platform’s patrons and sellers, bringing his private Bitcoin fortune to no less than 1,500 BTC.
In 2017, the Brno Regional Court docket sentenced him to 9 years in jail for embezzlement, drug trafficking and unlawful arms possession associated to Sheep Market. He was launched on parole in 2021 after serving half his sentence for good habits.
Associated: UK officer jailed for 50 Bitcoin theft throughout Silk Street 2.0 probe
Nonetheless, the story didn’t finish there, as Czech authorities by no means recovered Jirikovsky’s Bitcoin holdings, that are suspected to be excess of 1,500 BTC.
Ongoing controversy
Czech minister Blazek confronted a scandal in Could after accepting a Bitcoin donation from a convicted drug supplier, with native stories rapidly suggesting Jirikovsky’s involvement.
Seznam Zprávy linked the 468 BTC donation to Nucleus, one other darknet market holding 5,000 BTC in its pockets and reportedly linked to the programmer.
The allegations surfaced shortly after blockchain analytics agency Arkham Intelligence traced a $77.5 million Bitcoin transaction from a Nucleus pockets in March 2025, the platform’s first transaction in 9 years.
In response to Lucien Bourdon, a Bitcoin analyst at Prague-based {hardware} pockets firm Trezor, Jirikovsky’s saga is a reminder that felony BTC exercise is traceable onchain.
“Whereas common people have good privateness choices, in the event you’re a felony or a authorities Bitcoin isn’t nice for shifting cash quietly,” Bourdon advised Cointelegraph.
“Giant transfers will be traced perpetually. Think about if each fiat transaction involving governments was simply as seen. That’s the form of accountability we must always attempt for,” he added.
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