British judge orders confiscation of US$1 million in cryptocurrencies from jailed hacker

LONDON: A London judge ordered on Friday the confiscation of bitcoin and other digital currencies worth nearly US$1 million from a prolific computer hacker, in the first case of its kind for Britain’s biggest police force.

At Southwark Crown Court, judge Joanna Korner ruled that the state could confiscate 922,978.14 pounds (US$1.13 million) worth of cryptocurrencies from Grant West, 27.

West, from Kent in southeast England, was sentenced in May last year to over 10 years in prison for charges from conspiracy to defraud and possession of criminal property to the possession of drugs. He must obey the confiscation order or face an extra four years in prison, Korner said.

The Metropolitan Police said West used phishing emails in attacks on more than 100 companies worldwide, stealing tens of thousands of customers’ financial details before selling the data on dark web marketplaces. He later converted the profits to cryptocurrencies.

West…