SIMCOCKS SUCCESS IN SEIZED BITCOIN CASE
12 January 2026
Simcocks Advocates has successfully secured the return of 10 Bitcoin, valued between £600,000 and £1mn, seized by law enforcement during an investigation into suspected money laundering by unrelated third parties.
Chris Brooks, Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution at Simcocks Advocates, acted for the client with Ian Whitehurst of Exchange Chambers providing advice as counsel.
The work focused on the legal basis for continued detention of cryptocurrency where the asset holder is not suspected of criminal conduct and the ability to make application to seek their return.
Particular emphasis was placed on statutory and legal compliance by the relevant law enforcement agency and the evidential sufficiency to support their actions.
Following an application for the return of the Bitcoin being filed, the law enforcement agency returned the Bitcoin to the client in full prior to any hearing.
This matter illustrates the increasing tension between existing and very complex statutory frameworks and the practical realities of digital asset enforcement.
Chris Brooks commented on the success:
“The mechanisms for challenging search and seizure in the context of a money laundering investigation, are complex and opaque, and it is vital that there is a clear path to do so in a free society. I am pleased to have been able to assist someone innocently caught up in a money laundering investigation and facilitate a return of their digital assets”.