WILSONS Auctions have auctioned off around £500,000 worth of various crypto currencies - the first instruction by a UK police force for the sale of a criminal's seized bitcoin.
The two-day auction, which attracted global interest, included a range of crypto currency including bitcoin, ethereum, ripple and more, sold online.
A further 15 lots of bitcoin were then included in the unreserved government auction available to both online and physical bidders and which included a number of high-value items from luxury watches and jewellery to designer goods and cars.
A leading advisory service for worldwide law enforcement agencies, Wilsons Auctions was managing the auction of the seized crypto currency on behalf of the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU), having been seized from a criminal who illegally supplied online personal data and hacking services in exchange for thousands of pounds worth of crypto currency.
Wilsons made history last March, successfully managing the first public auction of bitcoin crypto currency by a private auction company.
The world-first saw 315 seized bitcoin sold with bidders participating from over 90 countries world-wide. The auction was the result of a significant contract with the Federal Government of Belgium in which Wilsons Auctions will manage the storage and sale of seized crypto assets.
The company's asset recovery director Aidan Larkin said: “Following the success of our world-first public auction of bitcoin, which achieved global attention, we were excited to roll out the service again to both our public and private sector clients.”
Wilsons (www.wilsonsauctions.com) has more than 80 years of experience managing the disposal of an extensive variety of assets.
Its asset recovery department works with 17 countries worldwide realising assets from crypto currencies to super cars, luxury watches and designer goods and in recent years has realised in excess of £100 million worth of seized assets for government agencies, law enforcement agencies and insolvency practitioners.
