Largest Raid on Illegal Spanish-Language Manga
Spanish police seized two crypto cold wallets that contained approximately 400,000 euros ($467,000) during a raid on what police have described as the country’s largest illicit Spanish-language manga distribution platform.
Authorities in Almería arrested three suspects and confiscated two cold wallets hidden inside a wall thermometer. These were seized from what police called the largest portal for illegal manga distribution that has generated over 4 million euros ($4.6 million) over the past decade, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry.
The minister’s office said the website had offered free access to pirated manga since 2014 and generated most of its profits from site advertising.
The raid draws attention to how hardware wallets are increasingly appearing in investigations far removed from usual crypto-related crime. Spanish police did not reveal whether they had obtained the credentials needed to access the funds stored on the devices.
The investigation was launched last year, in June 2025, after complaints from
copyright holders, according to the ministry.
South Korean Authorities Lose Confiscated Funds From Police Custody
Recent related cases in South Korea also show that seizing digital assets is only one part of the challenge, with custody and handling emerging as separate risks.
In February, South Korean police discovered that about 22 bitcoin (worth $1.5 million at the time) had disappeared from the custody of the Gangnam Police Station, after being seized in 2021.
The missing funds were only discovered during a nationwide audit of digital asset custody practices. Authorities reportedly stated that the 22 bitcoin had been transferred externally, though the cold wallet storing the tokens was not stolen.
The investigation followed a prior case at the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office where 320 BTC (worth about $21.3 million at the time) disappeared in August 2025. Prosecutors in that respective case points to a leaked password as part of a phishing attack.
