A 27-year-old Australian sent a message to the emergency services of Queensland, Australia, asking for $5 million worth of cryptocurrencies. If his request was not granted within three days, the man declared that he would start a forest fire.
Although cases of extortion involving cryptocurrencies are not that rare, this episode stands out for its peculiarity.
After all, during the fire season in Australia, between 2019 and 2020, an area of 186,000 km² was affected, leading to the deaths of 3 billion animals and dozens of people. That is, the above extortion would pose a threat to other Australians.
The police investigated the case for months and arrested the man
In a note published last Monday (27), the Victoria Police said no payment had been made to the Australian who pledged to start a bushfire if he did not receive US$5 million in cryptocurrencies.
The threat was said to have happened in October 2022, but was only resolved this week. According to the police report, the suspect was found after a long investigation and arrested shortly afterwards.
“After an extensive investigation, detectives executed a search warrant at an address [na cidade de] Bundoora last week, where they seized several items, including two computers and a telephone.”
The 27-year-old Australian, whose identity has not been released, was arrested on Sunday on charges of life-threatening racketeering, threats to destroy/damage property and drug possession.
The man was eventually released after posting bail, but his case will go to court on August 1, 2023.
Source: Live Coins
Barry Siefert is an accomplished journalist and author at The Nation View. He is known for his expertise in the field of cryptocurrency, and has written extensively on the topic. With a background in finance and economics, Barry has a deep understanding of the underlying technology and market forces that drive the crypto industry.
