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The Russian government has started selling part of the 1,032 bitcoins seized from former investigator Marat Tambiev, convicted of taking bribes.
Russian Authorities Seize Real Estate Belonging to Bribery-Convicted Official
The Russian government has reportedly begun selling a portion of over 1,032 bitcoins (BTC) seized from a former investigator, Marat Tambiev, who was convicted of taking bribes. The bitcoins were confiscated in 2023 by order of Moscow’s Nikulinsky District Court, according to a local report.
In addition to the cryptocurrency, Russian authorities also seized several real estate properties in Moscow as part of separate enforcement proceedings against Tambiev.
Prosecutors allege that Tambiev received the BTC from members of the hacking group Infraud Organization in April 2022 in exchange for not seizing their assets. Tambiev is currently serving a 16-year jail sentence, and his bribery case was described by Russian media as the largest of its kind at the time of his arrest.
However, one report said Russian bailiffs have encountered legal challenges when attempting to liquidate all the seized bitcoins because Tambiev had split the coins into several smaller amounts. Doing this, according to the report, would require the bailiffs to file several court rulings giving Russian authorities the power to sell all the BTC.
So far, Russian authorities have reportedly won permission to sell $10 million worth of BTC, and prosecutors are keen on selling more of the seized crypto assets.
Meanwhile, a Tass report revealed that one of Tambiev’s co-accused, Kristina Lyakhovenko, had been sentenced to serve nine years in a general regime penal colony. Another co-accused, Dmitry Gubin, who reportedly dodged arrest is now on law enforcement’s most wanted list.