Polish authorities have charged a former police officer, identified as Artur K., in connection with the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto. He was detained by agents of the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime at the request of the organized crime department of the National Prosecution Service.
Prosecutors allege Artur K. participated in an organized criminal group, caused large-scale property damage against BitBay and BB Trade Estonia, laundered money, and committed computer fraud. During a search of his residence, investigators found documentation directly tied to Zondacrypto's operations. Prosecution spokesperson Anna Adamiak said officials will decide whether to seek pretrial detention.
The arrest is also seen as a step toward clarifying the disappearance of Zondacrypto founder Sylwester Suszek, who was last seen in March 2022 near a fuel depot. The prosecution is treating his disappearance as unlawful deprivation of liberty. Suszek launched the exchange in Katowice in 2014 under the name BitBay; it later rebranded as Zondacrypto and grew to 1.3 million customers.
At least five individuals have been charged since August, including Radosław P., former head of the Polish Olympic Committee. Zondacrypto froze withdrawals in April, and Estonia's financial intelligence unit revoked the platform's license on June 29. Thousands of customers have filed formal complaints. Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek said the charges include helping misappropriate funds from users and laundering criminal proceeds, and Poland's Prime Minister has accused Zondacrypto of having ties with Russia.
