Israel will buy 19.15 BTC and 83 ETH, collectively worth over $2.2 million. But if you think that this is a step toward adopting crypto or that the country is planning to establish an alternative currency reserve – well, think again.
Shai Siboni – a popular Israeli footballer, who’s also a known gambling offender – had his crypto wallet “lost” while he was detained in police custody over two years ago.
Speaking on the matter was a police official, who said:
This is a serious oversight and it is still unclear how the wallet disappeared.
So, to make up for the “oversight,” the state of Israel will purchase a brand new digital wallet, fund it with 19.15 BTC and 83 ETH, and, well, give it back to Siboni.
Siboni Turned into “an Extremely Wealthy Man”
Commenting on the matter was also a senior official, who said that “this wallet was worth about a million shekels about seven years ago. Since then, currency prices have risen dramatically, and the state will pay dearly for the negligence of an elite police unit.”
This is one of the most serious failures we’ve had, and the saddest thing – no one is taking responsibility.”
Siboni, who is a convicted gambling offender has been turned into an “extremely wealthy man,” concluded the official.
A Gambling Offender
To provide a bit of context on the profile of Siboni – he’s considered a major target when it comes to illegal gambling as part of the Lahav 433 Unit’s investiagtions.
During the two World Cups – the one in 2014 in Brazil and the one in 2018 in Russia – Siboni operated illegal betting lines for thousands of gamblers.
Suspicions place his profits to the tune of more than 100 million shekels. These were used to purchase luxury cars, apartments and other assets. The hard truth, however, is that the state had difficulty proving that the money came from criminal activity, so the majority of his property (including the crypto wallet) was returned to him.
