Australian police have stumbled upon what they’re calling an “Aladdin’s cave” of stolen goodies, including crypto ATMs and rare trading cards.
Loot
The story comes from Melbourne, where authorities busted a local crime syndicate that had been on a rampage since mid-January.
The Victoria Police shared that this gang was responsible for stealing six cryptocurrency ATMs and racking up tens of thousands of dollars in stolen collector cards, including Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh. Sounds crazy, but it’s real.
The investigation revealed a stash of stolen items, from firearms to 100 car keys, and even a pill press machine. It’s like they were preparing for a crime spree straight out of a video game or a movie
Person of interest
Four men have been arrested in connection with this, and one guy is facing 14 counts of burglary related to the crypto ATMs and gaming stores, along with charges for handling stolen goods and illegal firearm possession.
Another suspect has been charged with five commercial burglaries, vehicle thefts, unlicensed driving, and possessing a prohibited weapon, other two suspects are still being investigated but have been released for now.
Detective Inspector Patrick Watkinson from the North West Metro Regional Crime Squad shared that they believe the main offenders might be part of a larger criminal network, hinting at connections to Middle Eastern organized crime syndicates.
Not all ATMs are gone
On a brighter note for the crypto industry, Australia is quickly becoming a hotspot for Bitcoin ATMs.
As of now, there are 313 Bitcoin ATMs in the state where these thieves operated, and the country boasts over 1,462 crypto ATMs overall, up from just 67 back in August 2022.
Coin ATM Radar reports that Australia is now the third-largest hub for crypto ATMs globally.
While the U.S. still leads the pack with around 29,740 Bitcoin ATMs, and that’s 80% of the global market, Australia is inching closer with providers like Coinflip and Localcoin stepping up their game.
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