# Irish Police Crack Drug Dealer's "Lost" BTC Wallet, Seize 500 BTC

Private keys printed on A4 paper hidden in fishing rod box—this story is real 🤡

Irish drug dealer Clifton Collins bought 6000 BTC with drug trafficking proceeds in 2011, printing the private keys on paper and stuffing them into a fishing rod box. After his arrest, the landlord threw the paper away, and everyone thought the money was gone forever. But Europol and the Irish Criminal Assets Bureau managed to crack it anyway, already seizing 500 BTC worth $35 million, with the remaining 5500 BTC still being worked on.

This story teaches us two things: First, don't break the law; second, don't fucking print your private keys on paper.

**Event Details (True Facts)**

• **Person:** Clifton Collins, Irish cannabis drug dealer, sentenced to 5 years in 2017 for drug trafficking.
• **Timeline:** Purchased 6000 BTC in 2011–2012 (approximately $5 per unit at the time), distributed across 12 wallets (500 BTC each).
• **Storage Method:** Private keys for 12 wallets printed on A4 paper, hidden in a fishing rod aluminum box.
• **Loss:** After arrest in 2017, the landlord discarded the fishing rod box while cleaning, and the private keys were lost.
• **Cracking:** In March 2026, Ireland's Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) partnered with Europol to technically crack one of the wallets, transferring 500 BTC to Coinbase, worth approximately $35 million.
• **Remaining:** Still 11 wallets and 5500 BTC awaiting decryption, with current total value exceeding $390 million.