For years, the CAB sat on a digital goldmine they simply couldn’t touch. Collins, showing a penchant for old-school security, had diversified his illicit earnings across 12 different virtual addresses to protect his “honey” from prying eyes.
Luck ran out for the beekeeper in 2017 following a routine patrol arrest, and while he was cooling his heels, his landlord had the property cleared out. Reports say workers at a local dump recalled seeing discarded fishing gear, but the paper—and the keys to a fortune—were shipped off to Germany and China to be incinerated.
Should the CAB successfully drain the remaining 11 wallets, the total haul would dwarf the value of every other asset typically seized and sold by the bureau combined. It’s a far cry from the small-time seizures Collins initially surrendered.
The CAB’s persistence proves that in the world of crypto-forfeiture, being “lost” is often just a temporary state of being—provided you have Europol on speed dial.
FAQ How did Irish authorities gain access to the seized Bitcoin?Investigators utilized high-level technical expertise and decryption resources provided by Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre to unlock the first of 12 wallets. What is the total value of the Bitcoin seized from Clifton Collins? The total hoard consists of 6,000 BTC, which has appreciated to an estimated value of $378 million (€360 million) as of March 2026. Why was the Bitcoin inaccessible for seven years?The private keys were printed on a piece of paper hidden in a fishing rod case that was accidentally discarded and incinerated after the owner’s arrest. Will the Irish government be able to recover the remaining 5,500 Bitcoin?Authorities remain hopeful that the successful breakthrough on the first 500 BTC wallet can be replicated across the remaining 11 encrypted addresses.
