Norwegian Police have recovered $5.9 million in crypto from Axie Infinity hackers who stole $620 million in last year’s Ronin Bridge exploit.
According to the latest Økokrim press release, Norwegian police seized crypto worth 60 million NOK (approx $5.9 million) from the Axie Infinity hackers. Økokrim is the National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime in Norway.
Hackers’ Woes Deepen
In March 2022, North Korean hackers staged one of the largest-ever crypto hacks, worth $620 million, from the Ronin Bridge sidechain of Axie Infinity. Later, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) linked the Axie Infinity Hackers to North Korea’s state-sponsored cybercrime organization, the Lazarus Group.
According to Økokrim, it is the largest crypto-seizure by Norwegian authorities. They collaborated with the FBI to recover the funds from the hackers.
State Attorney Marianne Bender said: “This is money that can support North Korea and their nuclear weapons program. It has therefore been important to track the cryptocurrency and try to stop the money when they try to withdraw it in physical values.”
The FBI has said previously that North Korea funds ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction programs through cryptocurrency thefts. Last week, South Korea sanctioned 11 North Korean parties, including Lazarus Group, for cryptocurrency theft.
Earlier in April 2022, Changpeng Zhao, the founder of the Binance exchange, also helped recover $5.8 million from the Axie Infinity Hackers.
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Disclaimer
BeInCrypto has reached out to company or individual involved in the story to get an official statement about the recent developments, but it has yet to hear back.