Former NCA officer ordered to repay £1.8 million-plus following Bitcoin theft

Posted to News on Sunday, October 4, 2026 Share:

FORMER NATIONAL Crime Agency (NCA) officer Paul Chowles has been ordered to repay more than £1.8 million after having stolen valuable cryptocurrency that had been seized as part of an investigation into online crime perpetrated on The Dark Web. Chowles, aged 44, was jailed for five years and six months at Liverpool Crown Court (pictured) in 2025 after pleading guilty to theft and money laundering.

Chowles stole and then hid 50 Bitcoin seized during an investigation into a marketplace on The Dark Web used by organised criminal networks for selling illegal goods. A total of 30 Bitcoin was subsequently recovered from Chowles.

At the time of the theft, 50 Bitcoin was valued at approximately £60,000. However, due to the significant increase in the value of Bitcoin, the Crown Prosecution Service was able to secure a Confiscation Order against Chowles in the sum of £1,810,678.93, which included the total value of the recovered 30 Bitcoin.

Silk Road 2.0

The Bitcoin had been recovered following an investigation into The Dark Web marketplace Silk Road 2.0. As part of the team working on the case, Chowles took part in the analysis and extraction of cryptocurrency from digital devices seized during the investigation.

He later transferred 50 Bitcoin from a confiscated wallet and attempted to disguise the trail of the assets through a series of cryptocurrency transactions.

Financial investigators traced the criminal benefit obtained through Chowles’ offending and supported confiscation proceedings to ensure that he could not continue to profit from his crimes.

Position of trust

Luke Clements, specialist prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution Service’s dedicated Proceeds of Crime division, explained: “Paul Chowles exploited a position of trust for personal gain, stealing assets that had already been recovered through law enforcement action.”

Clements continued: “Confiscation Orders are a powerful tool in ensuring that crime doesn’t pay. This Confiscation Order sends a clear message that we will pursue offenders’ assets relentlessly and seek to recover criminal proceeds wherever they may be hidden.”

In conclusion, Clements stated: “The Proceeds of Crime division at the Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners to identify criminal benefit and take robust action to strip offenders of the profits of their crimes.”