Three teenagers in the United Kingdom have been sentenced to a combined total of 16 years in youth detention for orchestrating a violent home invasion that resulted in the theft of over $4.3 million in cryptocurrency. The incident, which occurred in East London, involved the perpetrators posing as Amazon delivery drivers to gain access to the victim's flat.
The attackers, aged 16 and 17 at the time, used knives to threaten the victim and forced him to transfer his cryptocurrency holdings. After the robbery, they fled the scene in the victim's blue BMW X3. Their capture was hastened by their own social media activity; they posted videos on Snapchat from inside the stolen vehicle, which showed their route, celebratory gestures, and even footage of the victim during the forced transfer.
The victim reported the car stolen, triggering a police search using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras. The BMW was detected on the M1 motorway in Northamptonshire less than three hours after the burglary. A multi-force police pursuit ensued, with one suspect reaching speeds close to 100 mph, before a tactical stop was executed on the M6 in Warwickshire.
Sheffield Crown Court sentenced Faris Hassan and Mikyle Bethune, both now 18, along with a third 17-year-old accomplice, for aggravated burglary and related offenses. Authorities successfully traced and recovered the stolen cryptocurrency within 72 hours, returning it to the victim two weeks later.
The case highlights a growing global trend in crypto-related crime, shifting from digital hacks to physical attacks. Chain analysis indicates that approximately 90% of crypto theft now targets individuals who hold their own wallets, emphasizing the risks of self-custody when security practices are inadequate. The article accompanying the news urges users to avoid advertising holdings, consider multi-signature wallet setups, and securely store recovery phrases offline.
