On March 31, a MailOnline investigation showed that since April 2024, British authorities have frozen illegal encryption assets worth approximately US$7.7 million (£ 6 million). The UK revised its rules last year to give the National Crime Agency (NCA) and police special powers to freeze, seize and destroy cryptocurrencies linked to crime and criminals. These powers allow police to freeze crypto wallets for up to three years. Officials can also seize the assets if the court is satisfied that the funds came from illegal sources or will be used for criminal purposes. This special power also allows law enforcement to seize any crypto-wallet suspected of being associated with a criminal organization without arrest. Authorities have also been given the power to destroy seized crypto assets if they believe it is "not in the public interest" to put them back into circulation. This may include privacy coins often used by criminals to conceal the source of funds. According to court documents analyzed by MailOnline, the largest freeze order was issued against a wallet hosted on Coinbase. The wallet contains tokens worth US$1.94 million (£ 1.5 million). The freezing order was issued by the Newcastle upon Tyne Magistrate's Court on March 18. The court order was applied for by the UK Revenue and Customs (HMRC), indicating that the case may be related to tax evasion. The identity of the wallet owner remains a mystery.