Czech authorities have announced the arrest of a convicted criminal related to the $45 million Bitcoin scandal that sent shockwaves through the country’s political landscape earlier this year.
On Friday, Czech media outlets revealed that Tomáš Jiřikovský, the convicted drug trafficker behind the controversial $45 million Bitcoin (BTC) donation to former Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blažek, has been detained after a police raid.
According to the press release, the criminal case involves “suspicion of the commission of the crime of legalization of proceeds from criminal activity under Section 216(1), (4)(b), (5)(b) and (c) of the Criminal Code and the crime of illegal production and other handling of narcotic and psychotropic substances and poisons under Section 283(1), 4(b) of the Criminal Code.”
The darknet market, which was shut down in December 2013, was linked to drug trafficking, weapon sales, and counterfeit goods. Deník N reported that police intervened under dramatic circumstances in a house in Břeclav, where Jiřikovský resided.
Following the public outrage, the Justice Minister argued that he was not aware that the donation came from illegal activity. “I have no way of investigating this, and after so many years, it was not relevant to me,” he affirmed.
