Norway Police Seize $5.9 Million Connected to Axie Infinity Hack

• Norway police capture $5.9 million cryptocurrency connected with Lazarus group.
• The captured cryptocurrency is linked with the $600 million hack of Axie Infinity.
• Lazarus group was identified as the hacker group behind one of the biggest cryptocurrency hacks.

According to the latest email statement from the Norway police on Thursday, the unit for fighting economic and environmental crimes has seized 60 million Kroner ($5.9 million).

The seized cryptocurrency is linked to the $600 million Axie Infinity hack that occurred in March 2022. The seizure of 60 million Kroner is one of the largest confiscations by the Nordic country, Okokrim.

First State Attorney Marianne Bender said:

Økokrim are good at following money. This case shows that we also have a great capacity to follow the money on the blockchain, even if the criminals use advanced methods.

Cryptocurrency hackers stole over $600 million that began with a fake job offer to the game developers at Axie Infinity. The game took a major blow to the head when the hack occurred in March. Following the investigations, the FBI identified that the infamous Lazarus Group of North Korea was behind the cryptocurrency hack.

With the help of Chainalysis, the US government was able to recover $30 million in stolen cryptocurrencies in September 2022. The hackers used Tornado Cash to launder their money, following which the mixer was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department.

The Lazarus Group is a notorious cybercrime group that is widely believed to be based in North Korea, although the North Korean government has denied any involvement. North Korea has been at the forefront of cryptocurrency hacks in 2022, according to the latest Chainalysis report. The report also highlights that $1.7 billion worth of cryptocurrencies were looted by hackers from North Korea. The country’s major economic contribution is also highlighted as cryptocurrency hacking.