A person from the far south coast is beneath home arrest after being granted bail to battle costs over his alleged entry to $5.7 million value of bitcoin gained from criminality on the darkish net.
Jamie Lawrence Powrie was arrested on Might 27, 2025 and charged with coping with property of the proceeds of crime equal to $5 million or extra, failing to adjust to a digital proof entry order and supplying prohibited medication of indictable amount.
The 39-year-old man appeared in Batemans Bay Native Court docket at the moment by way of video hyperlink from South Coast Correctional Centre for a bail listening to.
Jamie Lawrence Powrie appeared in court docket by way of a video hyperlink. (ABC Information: Holly Tregenza)
The crown solicitor showing for the Workplace of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Kirsty MacKinnon, referred to the seriousness of the costs in opposing bail.
Ms MacKinnon mentioned the crown will probably be alleging the cryptocurrency was used to purchase the home Mr Powrie was in on the time of his arrest.
The court docket additionally heard Mr Powrie’s title was on the laptops seized and Mr Powrie and a co-accused have been recognized to one another.
Mr Powrie’s lawyer argued his shopper had been in custody since Might 2025 and there had been “vital delays earlier than the court docket”.
His lawyer additionally informed the court docket components of the case have been “technical” and it might be troublesome for the accused to organize his case in custody.
Decide Doug Dick granted Mr Powrie bail as a result of size he had already been in custody and with strict situations, together with he stay beneath home arrest.
The matter will return to court docket on July 27.
One of many largest crypto seizuresÂ
Mr Powrie’s arrest was a part of Strike Pressure Andalusia which was arrange by the NSW Police in September 2024.
The strike power was tasked to analyze a considerable amount of bitcoin held in a cryptocurrency pockets, allegedly the proceeds of criminality on the darkish internet.
On 27 Might 27, 2025, police searched a house in Surfside, a northern suburb of Batemans Bay, and allegedly seized a number of digital units and about 7.2 grams of cocaine.
Throughout a forensic evaluation of the units, police allegedly seized $47,000 value of cryptocurrency.
Throughout the search of the Ingleburn property, detectives seized digital units the place they allegedly uncovered 52.3 bitcoin. (Provided: NSW Police)
Within the early hours of Might this yr, police raided a home within the south-west Sydney suburb of Ingleburn, seizing cellphones and digital units which allegedly uncovered 52.3 bitcoin, valued at about $5.7 million.
NSW Police Commander of State Crime Command’s Cybercrime Squad, Detective Superintendent Matt Craft, mentioned the seizure was “one of many largest cryptocurrency seizures within the nation’s historical past”.
Investigations beneath the strike power are ongoing.
