Norway Seizes $6 Million in Stolen Crypto From Axie Infinity Hack

Nearly 60 million kroner ($5.9 million) in cryptocurrencies were seized by the Norwegian police. The Lazarus Group, a renowned North Korean hacker group, previously obtained the assets by breaching the security of the blockchain-based game Axie Infinity.

Almost $6 million worth of digital currencies were seized by Norway’s National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime, setting a new record for the Scandinavian nation.

The organization noted that the monies are a part of the extensive hack that North Korean hackers took out on Sky Mavis, a technological business that creates the well-known blockchain game, Axie Infinity.

To monitor the stolen funds and stop the wrongdoers from money laundering, kokrim collaborated with international law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI.

“We work with FBI specialists on tracking cryptocurrency. Such cooperation between countries means that we as a society stand stronger in the fight against digital, profit-motivated crime,” said First State Attorney Marianne Bender.

She added that the major objective of the hackers was to aid North Korea’s authoritarian leadership and fund its nuclear weapons projects.

“It has therefore been important to track the cryptocurrency and try to stop the money when they try to withdraw it in physical values,” she added.

The case “shows that we also have a great capacity to follow the money on the blockchain, even if the criminals use advanced methods.” Bender said in support of Kokrim’s efforts.

The infamous North Korean hacking gang, Lazarus, is made up of  “a masterful army of cybercriminals and foreign affiliates.”  according to a warning issued by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) last year. Additionally, it employs  “sophisticated” methods to steal resources from blockchain organizations.

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