South Australia Police Seize $37.9M in Crypto Assets in Organized Crime Crackdown
South Australia Police have escalated Operation Ironside following a High Court ruling that permits AN0M encrypted messages as admissible evidence. The latest phase resulted in 55 arrests and over 800 new charges tied to drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Criminal networks increasingly rely on encrypted communications—and now, digital assets—to facilitate illicit activities.
Authorities traced crypto wallets across South Australia, seizing A$58 million ($37.9M USD) in digital assets. This marks one of the largest crypto forfeitures in the state's history. The operation underscores law enforcement's growing sophistication in following blockchain trails to disrupt organized crime financing.