17.09.2026
5 min
289
A former officer of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee is suspected of stealing more than €6,000 in cryptocurrency from a passenger at Schiphol Airport. According to prosecutors, the officer used his official access to police databases to find a secret cryptocurrency wallet recovery code and transfer the funds to his own account.
The incident took place on October 24, 2025, at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. A passenger underwent a security check in the departure area, after which law enforcement officers entered his information into a police database. Several hours later, the suspect accessed the record and continued searching for information about the passenger in other official databases. During his search, he discovered a document from 2023 containing a cryptocurrency wallet recovery phrase.
The document contained a secret 24-word recovery phrase that allows the owner to restore access to their crypto assets. However, anyone who obtains this phrase can potentially gain control of the wallet. According to investigators, the officer used the recovery phrase to access the victim’s wallet and transfer more than €6,000 in cryptocurrency to his own crypto account.
That same day, the stolen funds reached his regular bank account. Over the following days, the man reinvested the money in various cryptocurrencies, attempting to manage the assets he had obtained.
After stealing the funds, the suspect accessed the victim’s records in various police systems approximately 20 times. Prosecutors believe he was trying to monitor developments and determine whether an investigation had been launched.
The victim discovered the theft on November 3, 2025, when he logged into his cryptocurrency account to check the value of his holdings. Instead of his savings, he found an almost empty wallet. According to prosecutors, the man had lost nearly all his savings. Just over a week after the theft, he filed a police report, prompting authorities to launch an investigation.
In February 2026, the suspect decided to look up information about himself. Using his access to official systems, he discovered that he had become the subject of a criminal investigation into cryptocurrency theft. He also managed to review police documents, including reports and official requests related to the investigation.
The following day, the man approached the police with an unusual explanation. He claimed that an unknown person had transferred cryptocurrency to his account and that he did not know how to return the money because he lacked the necessary technical knowledge. Dutch prosecutors found this explanation implausible.
According to an official statement from the Dutch Public Prosecution Service, the suspect not only stole another person’s funds but also illegally used official information systems for personal gain.
During a hearing before the military chamber of the Arnhem court, the prosecutor emphasized that members of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee have a special responsibility to protect citizens’ confidential information.
“The defendant grossly abused his powers. A member of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee should, above all, be aware of the unique responsibility that his position entails. He has access to confidential information that citizens must be able to entrust to the government, information that may only be consulted under strict conditions.”
Prosecutors stated that the suspect’s actions seriously undermined public trust in government institutions. Access to police databases is granted exclusively for official duties, and using these privileges to steal money constitutes a serious abuse of authority.
Following the discovery of his actions, the man was dismissed from the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. Prosecutors are seeking a six-month prison sentence and demanding that he return the stolen cryptocurrency to the victim. At the time the information was published, the court had not yet announced a final verdict.
This is not the only case in which a law enforcement officer allegedly exploited official access to steal cryptocurrency. In the United States, former FBI agent Patrick Steven Yaroch pleaded guilty to illegally obtaining nearly $2.5 million in crypto assets. The former member of the FBI’s counterintelligence and espionage division used cryptocurrency wallet credentials obtained during investigations. Some of these assets were controlled by foreign governments considered adversaries by US authorities.
According to investigators, he carried out approximately 100 unauthorized transfers using information from 35 FBI investigations. The man spent the stolen funds on paying off debts, personal expenses, and preparations to relocate to Portugal, where he planned to purchase a vineyard.
In the Dutch investigator’s case, a key piece of evidence was the history of his access to police information systems. Prosecutors are now seeking not only criminal punishment but also the return of the victim’s stolen savings.
