Daryna Antoniuk
Delhi police have arrested a suspect allegedly linked to the theft of at least $230 million worth of cryptocurrency from the India-based platform WazirX earlier this year.
The suspect, identified as Masud Alam from West Bengal, was detained on Thursday. The Indian newspaper Times of India described the arrest as “a significant breakthrough in the ongoing investigation” into the WazirX hack.
According to media reports, Alam allegedly created an account on WazirX using a false name and later sold it to another individual on Telegram. This account was then used to breach the exchange. The reports did not specify the potential punishment Alam could face.
The police investigation revealed that the cybercriminals behind the WazirX hack reportedly drained the platform’s “hot” wallet for transactions and attempted to breach its “cold” wallet, which stores funds offline with enhanced security measures.
The firm responsible for securing WazirX’s wallets, Singapore-based Liminal Custody, has reportedly refused to cooperate with the investigation or disclose the data requested by the police, hindering efforts to trace the stolen assets.