Data: UK police seize £322m in cryptocurrencies over the past five years

British police have seized 322 million pounds ($435 million) worth of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in a criminal investigation over the past five years, Decrypt reported on January 6.

According to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request made by New Scientist, 12 of the UK’s 48 police forces have seized £322 million worth of cryptocurrency in seizures. Fifteen police forces either did not respond or declined to provide information.

The vast majority (over 99.9%) of the cryptocurrencies seized were Bitcoin, with the remainder consisting of ETH and privacy coins, including Monero, Dash, and Zcash. London's Metropolitan Police made the largest seizure, with £294 million ($398 million).

The FOI request shows that over the five-year period covered by the request, Greater Manchester Police seized £25 million (about $34 million), while Darfed-Powys police seized £2.4 million (about $3.2 million).