A data scientist with the Australian Federal Police has been hailed as a “crypto safe cracker” after successfully decoding a complex numerical sequence that led investigators to a hidden digital fortune worth $5.9 million.
AFP Uncovers Encrypted Crypto Cache
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) revealed it had cracked a coded cryptocurrency wallet backup containing 9 million Australian dollars ($5.9 million USD), during an investigation into an alleged organized crime figure.
The individual, described as a “well-connected alleged criminal,” reportedly accumulated his digital wealth through the sale of a “tech-type product” to other criminals.
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett praised the breakthrough, calling it “miraculous work” during a speech on Wednesday.
“We knew if we couldn’t open the crypto wallet, and if the alleged offender was sentenced, upon release, he would leave prison a multi-millionaire. For our members, that was not an acceptable outcome,” Barrett said.
How Investigators Broke the Code
During the probe, officers found a password-protected note and an image with random numbers and words on the suspect’s phone. The numbers were divided into six groups with more than 50 possible combinations, initially appearing indecipherable.
One AFP data scientist realized the sequence might conceal a 24-word seed phrase, the critical recovery key for cryptocurrency wallets.
After meticulous analysis, the expert discovered that by removing the first number in each sequence, the pattern revealed the correct seed phrase — unlocking the wallet’s contents.
“Some of the number strings felt wrong and looked like a human had modified them,” the data scientist explained. “Once we stripped away the added digits, the entire sequence made sense.”
A Major Win Against Crypto Crime
The suspect refused to provide wallet access — an act that carries up to a 10-year prison sentence in Australia — but the AFP’s digital forensics team managed to access the funds independently.
This is not the first crypto breakthrough for the AFP-led Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce, which previously recovered more than $3 million in digital assets using advanced decoding techniques.
If the court approves the confiscation, the seized funds will be transferred to a Commonwealth account and redistributed by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to support crime prevention initiatives.
The case highlights Australia’s evolving expertise in digital forensics and the growing importance of crypto literacy in law enforcement.
As Commissioner Barrett noted, “The digital age has given criminals new tools — but it’s also given our investigators new ways to fight back.”
Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.