The case of the Irish drug dealer who was forced to hand over ₿6,000 to the Irish police took another twist over the weekend as it was claimed that the paper wallet containing the funds was thrown out with the trash in 2017. The Bitcoin, which Clifton Collins had bought and kept since 2011, is now likely lost forever, representing yet another case of Bitcoin likely lost forever.
Collins Split ₿6,000 Over 12 Accounts
Collins, a Dublin native, was arrested for possession of cannabis in 2017, with an investigation of his property revealing that he had been harvesting and selling the drug from his home. Sensibly he had bought Bitcoin with it, amassing 6,000, which he split across 12 accounts, printing off the private keys on a piece of paper and securing it to the aluminum lid of a fishing rod case in his home.
However, when Collins was arrested in 2017 there was a break-in at the house, which was followed by a clearout by the landlord. Many of Collins’ items, including the then $6 million fishing rod case, were taken to a tip and thrown away. The Irish Times reports that this version of events is backed up by numerous witnesses, including some tip workers.
Another Case of Bitcoin Gone to Landfill
The story is uncannily like that of Welshman James Howells who mined ₿7,500 but threw away the hard drive in a house clearout in 2013. Unlike Howells, who has been trying to get permission from the local council to dig in the landfill for years, Collins’ Bitcoin is gone for good – the waste at his local tip is exported and incinerated.
Collins isn’t the biggest loser in this case, however. The Irish Department of Finance was the stated recipient of the Bitcoin, which was seized as being proceeds of crime, which is now worth $56 million. The Irish Times states that the police are “hopeful advances in technology would one day enable them to access the Bitcoin so it could be sold.”
Don’t hold your breath, lads. It doesn’t work like that.
