Spanish police seized two crypto cold wallets holding about 400,000 euros, or nearly $467,000, during a manga piracy raid in Almería.
Police arrested three suspects linked to an illegal manga site that authorities described as Spain’s largest Spanish-language manga piracy platform.
Spain’s Interior Ministry said officers found the crypto cold wallets hidden inside a wall thermometer. The ministry said the site had offered free pirated manga since 2014 and generated more than 4 million euros, or about $4.6 million, over the past decade.
Spain Crypto Cold Wallets Found in Manga Piracy Raid
The Spain crypto cold wallets seizure came during an investigation that began in June 2025 after complaints from rights holders.
The ministry said the illegal manga site made most of its revenue through advertising. It gave users free access to pirated manga content.
A cold wallet stores crypto offline. However, police did not say whether they had the passwords or recovery phrases needed to access the funds.
Illegal Manga Site Made Over €4M Since 2014
The illegal manga site had operated for more than ten years, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry.
Authorities said the platform became the country’s largest illicit Spanish-language manga distribution portal. Police later seized the cold wallets during the raid in Almería.
The Spanish Ministry of Interior had not responded to a request for comment by publication. Therefore, access to the seized funds remains unclear.
South Korea Seized Bitcoin Cases Show Custody Problems
The Spanish case follows other seized crypto cases in South Korea.
In February, South Korean authorities found that about 22 Bitcoin, worth $1.5 million at the time, had disappeared from Gangnam Police Station custody.
Police had confiscated the Bitcoin in 2021. Authorities said the funds moved to an external wallet, although the cold wallet itself was not stolen.
In another case, 320 BTC, worth about $21.3 million, disappeared from the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office in August 2025. Prosecutors blamed a leaked password linked to a phishing attack.
In January 2026, South Korea’s Supreme Court ruled that investigators can seize Bitcoin held on centralized exchanges. This means authorities can freeze exchange-held Bitcoin tied to alleged criminal investigations.
Tatevik Avetisyan is an editor at Kriptoworld who covers emerging crypto trends, blockchain innovation, and altcoin developments. She is passionate about breaking down complex stories for a global audience and making digital finance more accessible.
📅 Published: April 24, 2026 • 🕓 Last updated: April 24, 2026
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