Key Takeaways:
- A Queensland man surrendered nearly 25 Bitcoin, a luxury mansion, and a Mercedes-Benz, linked to a 2013 crypto exchange hack.
- The assets, worth approx. $2.88M USD, were seized by the AFP following a Luxembourg tip and prior hacking convictions.
- Proceeds from the seizure will support crime prevention, as part of over $1.2B in assets restrained by CACT since 2019.
An Australian man, identified as Shane Stephen Duffy, has surrendered nearly 25 Bitcoin, a waterfront mansion, and a Mercedes-Benz, after authorities linked the assets to the proceeds of a 2013 crypto exchange hack.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP), through its Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT), announced the seizure on May 18, with the total asset value estimated at 4.5 million AUD ($2.88 million USD).
The AFP-led Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT) has secured the forfeiture of more than $4.5 million worth of assets, including a Queensland waterfront mansion, luxury car and Bitcoin, after identifying them as suspected proceeds of crime. https://t.co/Wglk0m5K50
— AFP (@AusFedPolice) May 17, 2025
The investigation began in 2018, following a tip from Luxembourg authorities about suspicious Bitcoin transactions.
Duffy, previously convicted for hacking a U.S.-based gaming company, is suspected to be connected to the theft of 950 Bitcoin from a French crypto exchange.
Though no charges have been filed regarding that specific theft, a court order allowed asset forfeiture, citing no legitimate income source.
Duffy had also pleaded guilty in 2016 to selling stolen League of Legends user data and breaching Riot Games’ president’s X account to promote account-selling services.
Beach mansion, Benz and Bitcoin worth $4.5m seized from League of Legends hacker Shane Stephen Duffy. #7NEWS https://t.co/KtnYG7vTdy
— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) May 18, 2025
AFP Commander Jason Kennedy emphasized the importance of disrupting criminal financing through asset seizures.
Proceeds will go to a fund supporting crime prevention and law enforcement.
Since 2019, CACT has restrained over $1.2 billion in criminal-linked assets.
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