5.9 million dollars worth of cryptocurrency taken from the game Axie Infinity in March of last year were recovered by Norwegian authorities.
The largest cryptocurrency haul ever made by Norwegian police, according to the National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime, or kokrim.
First State Attorney Marianne Bender said in a statement, "This case illustrates that we have a great capacity to follow the money on the blockchain, even if the offenders utilize complex means."
North Korean hackers broke into Axie Infinity last March and stole almost $600 million, laundering a large portion of the money through the privacy mixer Tornado Cash, which the United States later sanctioned. Treasury Division.
According to a United Nations study from February 2023, North Korean actors stole up to $1 billion in cryptocurrency last year, with the majority of attacks being carried out by organizations under the supervision of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, North Korea's main intelligence agency. They comprise groups with names like Lazarus, Andariel, and Kimsuky.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), North Korea utilizes the thefts to fund its development of ballistic missiles and WMDs.
