Overview

• A judicial secretary in Marbella was arrested and confessed to stealing nearly €19 million in cryptocurrencies under court custody.
• The stolen assets originated from 'Operation Geld,' a major anti-money-laundering operation targeting a Dutch cyber-fraudster linked to drug trafficking.
• The theft was enabled by exploiting vulnerabilities in the custody chain, including delaying the transfer of private keys to the ORGA for conversion into euros.
• Police recovered the stolen keys, written on a paper ball hidden under a door frame, during simultaneous searches of the suspect's properties.
• Authorities have fully recovered the stolen cryptoassets and are now reviewing custody protocols to address security gaps in handling digital assets.