🇦🇺 Australian Police Crack Encrypted Crypto Wallets, Recover $7 Million From Organized Crime
In a remarkable display of cyber expertise, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have recovered over $7 million in illicit digital assets by successfully cracking password-protected cryptocurrency wallets linked to organized crime networks.
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett revealed on October 29 that a data scientist within the agency managed to unlock two heavily secured crypto wallets, proving that human intelligence can sometimes outsmart even the most sophisticated encryption systems.
🧩 The High-Stakes Challenge
The case began when AFP officers, during a raid on the home of a well-connected suspect, discovered a crypto wallet suspected to hold proceeds from the sale of a “tech-type product” to criminal organizations around the world.
Despite facing a potential 10-year prison sentence, the suspect refused to share the wallet’s password. This refusal posed a major challenge: if left unopened, the convict could eventually walk free with millions in crypto profits.
🔓 How the Wallet Was Cracked
Determined not to let crime pay, AFP assigned its data scientists to the task. The breakthrough came when one scientist noticed a pattern in a sequence of numbers and made a daring move — removing the first digit from each sequence. This led to the successful decoding of a 24-word recovery seed phrase, unlocking the wallet that contained $5.9 million worth of digital assets.
In a separate case, the same scientist used a different analytical approach to recover another $1.96 million in crypto linked to organized crime, taking the total recovery to over $7 million.
🧠 Human Ingenuity Over Machines
Commissioner Barrett praised the operation, highlighting how “human creativity can outperform raw computing power.” The success, she added, demonstrates how skilled investigators and data experts can dismantle digital barriers that criminals believe are impenetrable.
The recovered assets are currently under the control of the Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce, led by the AFP. Once the court finalizes forfeiture, the funds will be transferred to a Commonwealth account and used to support crime prevention initiatives under the supervision of Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.
📘 Quick Facts (FAQ)
Where was the wallet found?
During a search of a high-profile suspect’s residence in Australia.
Why did AFP crack the wallet?
The suspect refused to reveal the password, risking release with millions in criminal earnings.
How was it unlocked?
Through data pattern analysis that revealed a 24-word recovery phrase.
What happens to the funds?
If the court orders forfeiture, the funds will be used for national crime prevention programs.