The UK National Crime Agency (NCA) is taking steps to focus more on cryptocurrency-related crime and combat criminals.
The NCA’s cyber command, the National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU), is launching a dedicated cryptocurrency unit to investigate cyber incidents in the UK involving the use of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC).
Called the “NCCU Crypto Cell,” the cryptocurrency-focused unit will initially have five officers dedicated to the “proactive cryptocurrency mission.”
“This is a really exciting opportunity involving working on a team at the forefront of protecting the UK against cybercrime,” NCA director of infrastructure investigations Chris Lewis-Evans told Cointelegraph. And he added:
“Cryptocurrency and virtual assets are considered specialized knowledge areas, and this role is key to supporting NCA investigations where they are used to enable serious crime.”
As part of the project, the NCA is looking to recruit a cryptocurrency investigator with a good understanding of cryptocurrency and strong experience conducting blockchain forensic investigations into serious crime and organized crime.
The NCA’s next cryptocrime fighter will need to provide strategic and tactical advice to investigators in dealing with cryptocurrency-related cases, supporting both existing and new investigations. The position requires experience in identifying and retrieving seed phrases along with advanced tracking through blockchains.
The role offers an annual salary of between £40,200 ($48,200) and £43,705 ($52,400). Candidates are invited to apply before January 10, 2023.
The NCA’s move aims to increase the regulatory focus on crypto assets in the UK amid the government’s call to eliminate “dirty money” in the country. In September 2022, the UK government introduced a bill aiming to crack down on money laundering and fraud, in particular by expanding the authorities’ ability to seize cryptocurrency used for illicit purposes.
According to National Council of Police Chiefs Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Gould, all UK police forces will have trained all their officers to carry out investigations involving the seizure and enforcement of cryptocurrency from October 2022.
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