CAB Nabs Another 500 BTC — Lost Fishing Rod Cap Still Holding Out Better Than Most Custody 😬

Ireland's Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) confirmed the seizure of an additional 500 Bitcoin, currently valued at approximately 27 million euros ($30.9 million), in coordination with Europol's European Cybercrime Centre. The agency said the latest action brings total Bitcoin seizures by CAB in 2026 to 1,500 BTC, worth roughly $92.4 million. CAB credited Europol with providing operational coordination, technical expertise and decryption support during the investigation, adding that it had no further comment and did not disclose the wallet owner's identity or the underlying case details.

The seizure follows an earlier 2026 incident in which CAB gained access to a cryptocurrency wallet containing 500 BTC, which Irish media linked to convicted drug dealer Clifton Collins. According to The Irish Times, the wallet authorities accessed in March was one of 12 holding about 6,000 BTC once owned by Collins, whose private keys were reportedly stored on a sheet of A4 paper. Collins was arrested in 2017 after police searching his car found cannabis, and authorities said he used drug proceeds to purchase 6,000 Bitcoin between late 2011 and early 2012, distributed across 12 wallets.

The single sheet of paper holding the wallet keys was reportedly hidden inside the aluminum cap of a fishing rod case at Collins's rental home. After his arrest, his landlord allegedly discarded his belongings, with Collins claiming the fishing rod case was stolen before the landlord entered the property. Wallets associated with Collins still hold 4,500 Bitcoin, worth roughly $277 million as of Friday, according to Arkham data, which also showed a Collins-linked address moving 500 Bitcoin to an unknown address on Thursday.