Danish police first in the world to use Bitcoin to catch criminals

It’s getting harder to be a criminal these days, surveillance technology and forensic science are advancing, and full-time police forces are working around the clock to disrupt crime. That’s why when the cryptocurrency Bitcoin was launched in 2009, criminals around the world rejoiced. Using an untraceable internet currency, scammers and criminals could finally enjoy the anonymity of cash without the risk of being discovered in the real world.

However, it now seems unlikely that Bitcoin is the future of crime, as Danish police have reportedly successfully arrested drug dealers by tracking Bitcoin transactions. In January this year, a Danish court sentenced a narcotics criminal to eight years in prison, with Bitcoin tracking evidence playing a major role in the verdict.

Kim Aarentstrup, head of the Danish National Cyber ​​Crime Center (NC3), said in an interview that Danish law enforcement agencies have developed a new specialized IT system that can compare two different types of Bitcoin transaction information. First, Bitcoin transactions used to purchase goods are analyzed by using Bitcoin's blockchain technology. This information is then compared with a list of Bitcoin buyers and Bitcoin sellers. The comparison results are then used to identify people involved in specific transactions. Currently, the FBI and Europol are already using the system developed by the Danish police.