Irish Authorities Seize €30M in Bitcoin Linked to Clifton Collins Crypto Case

Highlights:

• Irish authorities seized €30 million in Bitcoin from a wallet linked to crime.
• Europol helped Irish investigators access the crypto wallet with technical and decryption support.
• The breakthrough moves forward a long-running case involving 6,000 Bitcoin tied to Clifton Collins.

Irish authorities have recovered nearly €30 million ($40 million) in Bitcoin (BTC) in a major move against suspected criminal assets, according to local media. The operation was carried out by Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) with support from Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre. 

Gardaí seize Bitcoin valued at €30m in Cab operation supported by Europol https://t.co/6tJJLqxOGA

— The Irish Times (@IrishTimes) March 24, 2026

Europol Support Helps Irish Authorities Unlock Seized Bitcoin Wallet

Investigators said they were able to access a crypto wallet containing 500 Bitcoin that was allegedly tied to criminal proceeds. Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre supported the operation by hosting meetings in The Hague, Netherlands and giving investigators and analysts advanced technical and decryption help. That support appears to have played a key role in the breakthrough. “The Criminal Assets Bureau in collaboration with Europol gained access to and seized a cryptocurrency wallet containing 500 bitcoins, which are the proceeds of crime,” Irish police said.  

Irish investigators linked the case to Clifton Collins after his 2019 arrest in a cannabis-related case. Authorities then brought the Bitcoin connected to him under state control. Reports said the Criminal Assets Bureau seized 6,000 Bitcoin tied to Collins, valued at about $61 million at that time. Investigators believed he bought the coins in 2011 and 2012 with money earned from his drug business, when Bitcoin was still trading at far lower prices.

Collins allegedly moved the Bitcoin into 12 different wallets to keep it secure. He wrote the private keys on a document and hid it inside a fishing rod case at a rented property in County Galway. After a reported break-in, he lost the record, and that kept the wallets inaccessible for years.

Long-Running Clifton Collins Bitcoin Case Reaches First Major Recovery

Over time, the value of the seized Bitcoin climbed sharply. Same-day Irish reporting said the 12 wallets now hold about 6,000 BTC worth approximately €360 million ($417 million) at current prices. CAB has now opened one wallet containing about 500 Bitcoin, which marks the first major breakthrough in the case.

In a separate recovery action in 2020, Collins gave up nearly $1 million in Bitcoin along with other assets worth about $1.4 million, including a gyrocopter, a camper van, and a fishing boat. The court later sentenced him to five years in prison for his role in the cannabis growing and selling operation.

Opening one wallet has now raised hopes that investigators may also reach the remaining holdings. If that happens, Ireland could take control of a much larger Bitcoin amount from the same case. So far, officials have shared only limited details and kept their public comments centred on the latest seizure. But the case shows that crypto investigations now go beyond tracing funds. They also depend on wallet access, evidence handling, and cross-border technical support.