Finland’s customs launches tender among brokers to sell seized cryptocurrency

Finland’s Customs announced a tender among cryptocurrency brokers. The agency is seeking an operator through whom it can “reliably and safely” liquidate seized cryptocurrency.

According to the publication, customs authorities seized bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies as part of investigations into drug-trafficking cases. Proposals to participate in the tender must be submitted by 30 August 2021.

The agency expects the estimated contract value to be €250,000 excluding VAT. However, as “the quantity and price of the seized cryptocurrency” may vary, the maximum value of the contractor’s services under the agreement is capped at €2 million.

“Our aim is to establish a procedure by which we can, on an ongoing basis, securely and reliably liquidate crypto assets seized for the state, including in the future. The selected operator must, for example, fully comply with the legal requirements in the area of cryptocurrencies,” said Pekka Pylkkänen, Director of Financial Administration at Finnish Customs (Pekka Pylkkänen).

Earlier, Helsingin Sanomat reported that the agency plans to sell 1,981 BTC seized from drug traders. At the time of writing, the value of the cryptocurrency was around $76.9 million.

Last December, Finland’s customs, with Europol’s support, closed a major marketplace Sipulimarket — the only illicit drug marketplace in Finnish on the Tor network.

Subscribe to ForkLog news on VK.