Czech police arrested Tomas Jirikovsky the darknet platform founder in connection to a Bitcoin donation of $45 million that caused former Justice Minister Pavel Blazek’s resignation earlier this summer.
Czech police have intervened on the Bitcoin issueBTCDonation case led to Blazek’s resignation This Thursday. According The authorities, according to Radim Dragoun, Chief Prosecutor of the State Department “securing people and things.” “This is a criminal case that was recently separated by the police authority for independent proceedings from joint proceedings,” Dragoun said.
The minister’s statement does not refer to any arrests. But some reports in the local press suggest that Tomas Jirikovsky was detained by the police. Jirikovsky is a former criminal, who had allegedly given 468 BTC to the Minister (approximately $45,000,000 at the moment) as a way to escape a second prison sentence.
Bitcoin donor attempts escape before police arrest
Jirikovsky reportedly tried to escape police by climbing onto the roof of his home during the raid on Thursday night, Deník N reported Friday.
His ex wife confirmed his intervention. She said a neighbour alerted to her the rooftop drama. According to the report, Jirikovsky was then arrested by police and taken into custody.
Jirikovsky, a Czech computer programmer, is the creator of Sheep Marketplace – an illegal darknet market that was associated with drug trafficking and weapons.
9-year jail term with parole 2021
According to Seznam Zprávy, Jirikovsky is estimated to have generated 680 BTC from operating Sheep Marketplace, which he launched in early 2013 when Bitcoin was valued at around $100.
In December 2013, the market was closed due to the shutdown of Silk RoadJirikovsky is also reported to have stolen an additional 841 BTC, which brings his Bitcoin wealth up to 1,500 BTC.
The Brno Regional Court, in 2017, sentenced him to 9 years imprisonment for theft, illegal weapons possession and drug trafficking related to Sheep Marketplace. In 2021, after serving only half of the sentence and demonstrating good conduct, he will be released from prison on parole.
Related: UK officer jailed for 50 Bitcoin theft during Silk Road 2.0 probe
But the story is not over yet, since Jirikovsky never had his Bitcoins recovered. They are estimated to number more than 1,500 BTC.
The ongoing controversy
In May, the Czech Minister Blazek was embroiled in a scandal after accepting Bitcoins from a drug-dealer convicted of a crime. Local reports soon suggested Jirikovsky’s involvement.
Seznam Zprávy linked Nucleus is another darknet platform that holds 5,000 BTC and has a connection to this programmer.
These allegations were made shortly after the blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence traced a $77.5 million Bitcoin transaction Nucleus wallet, March 2025. This was the first time in nine years that Nucleus had made a transaction.
Lucien Bourdon is a Bitcoin Analyst at Trezor in Prague. He says that Jirikovsky’s story is a good reminder of the fact that BTC criminal activity can be traced onchain.
“While regular folks have good privacy options, if you’re a criminal or a government Bitcoin isn’t great for moving money quietly,” Bourdon spoke to Cointelegraph.
“Large transfers can be traced forever. Imagine if every fiat transaction involving governments was just as visible. That’s the kind of accountability we should strive for,” He added.
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Source: cointelegraph.com
