The man who escaped from a minimum security open prison in South Iceland shortly after midnight is not considered dangerous. The man was being held in custody in connection to one of the largest criminal cases in Icelandic history. Police fears he will attempt to flee the country.
Read more: BREAKING: Prison break in S. Iceland. Police fears suspect might attempt to flee the country
Sindri Þór Stefánsson has been in custody since February 2 on suspicion of being involved in a string of break-ins into data centers involved in cryptocurrency mining. Computer equipment estimated to be worth at least 2 million USD was stolen from data centers where cryptocurrency mining takes place. Some 600 computers were stolen from data centers in South West and North West Iceland.
Massive cryptocurrency heist
The string of burglaries are believed to be the work of an organized criminal operation. Police received several leads after a reward of 6 million króna (60.000 USD/50.000 EUR) was offered for information which might lead the the recovery of the stolen computers and the cracking of the case. None of the leads led to the cracking of the case and Police is no closer to locating the equipment.
The local newspaper Fréttablaðið reports that Police is while Police has been unable to locate the stolen equipment it is close to cracking the case. Charges will likely be filed early next week.
As Sindri is not a violent criminal and was not being held in connection to a violent crime he was held at a minimum security open prison. Forty five non-violent prisoners are held in open prisons in Iceland. Páll Winkel, the Commissioner of Prisons told the local news site Vísir that it is extremely rare for prisoners to attempt escape from open or minimum security prisons.
When Sindri Þór is found he will be moved to a closed medium security prison.
The man who escaped from a minimum security open prison in South Iceland shortly after midnight is not considered dangerous. The man was being held in custody in connection to one of the largest criminal cases in Icelandic history. Police fears he will attempt to flee the country.
Read more: BREAKING: Prison break in S. Iceland. Police fears suspect might attempt to flee the country
Sindri Þór Stefánsson has been in custody since February 2 on suspicion of being involved in a string of break-ins into data centers involved in cryptocurrency mining. Computer equipment estimated to be worth at least 2 million USD was stolen from data centers where cryptocurrency mining takes place. Some 600 computers were stolen from data centers in South West and North West Iceland.
Massive cryptocurrency heist
The string of burglaries are believed to be the work of an organized criminal operation. Police received several leads after a reward of 6 million króna (60.000 USD/50.000 EUR) was offered for information which might lead the the recovery of the stolen computers and the cracking of the case. None of the leads led to the cracking of the case and Police is no closer to locating the equipment.
The local newspaper Fréttablaðið reports that Police is while Police has been unable to locate the stolen equipment it is close to cracking the case. Charges will likely be filed early next week.
As Sindri is not a violent criminal and was not being held in connection to a violent crime he was held at a minimum security open prison. Forty five non-violent prisoners are held in open prisons in Iceland. Páll Winkel, the Commissioner of Prisons told the local news site Vísir that it is extremely rare for prisoners to attempt escape from open or minimum security prisons.
When Sindri Þór is found he will be moved to a closed medium security prison.
