Arrest in the Czech Republic: Founder of a darknet marketplace is again at the center of a scandal
Date: 2025-08-18 Author: Gabriel Deangelo Categories: IN WORLD
On the evening of August 14, Czech police arrested Tomáš Jiříkovský, the founder of the darknet marketplace Sheep Marketplace, which was closed back in 2013. According to local media, during the raid, he tried to escape by climbing onto the roof of his house, but was detained.
Although the police did not name the suspect in the official statement, the circumstances and publications in a number of publications, including Deník N, clearly point to Jiříkovský. His name is well known in the Czech Republic after a high-profile case that ended in a verdict in 2017, when the programmer was sentenced to nine years in prison. However, he was released on parole in 2021.
After his release, Jiříkovský attempted to return the previously confiscated equipment, which included a laptop with access to a bitcoin wallet with 1,560 BTC. The trial dragged on for several years until, in March 2025, he transferred 468 BTC to the state through a lawyer, which amounted to about 30% of the confiscated assets. This step was presented as a "donation" to the Ministry of Justice.
However, this unusual method of settlement caused a political crisis. The opposition claimed that this was not a voluntary contribution, but a bribe, as a result of which Justice Minister Pavel Blažek found himself at the center of a corruption scandal and left his post.
Now, Jiříkovský has again found himself in the sights of law enforcement. He has been charged with two episodes - one related to the events of 2015, the other relates to 2025. In both cases, we are talking about suspicion of laundering funds obtained by criminal means.
At the same time, the authorities decided to confiscate the bitcoins that were in the possession of the Ministry of Justice and stored in the crypto wallet of the Office for the Representation of the State in Property Matters. These assets are officially recognized as proceeds from criminal activity.
The situation with Jiříkovský has become one of the most discussed episodes in the Czech Republic in recent weeks, as it affects not only the criminal past of the odious programmer, but also raises questions about the transparency of government agencies.
It is curious that against the backdrop of these events, another high-profile investigation was completed in the country in June: the anti-corruption agency dropped charges against President Javier Milei, who was previously suspected of violating ethical standards in promoting the cryptocurrency meme token LIBRA.
The story of Jiříkovský's arrest is far from over, and now attention is focused both on his future trial and on the actions of the Czech authorities, who are trying to regain public trust after a high-profile corruption scandal.
