Crime involving cryptocurrency has seen specialist police officers seizing online digital assets.

Scams relating to digital ‘coins’ are becoming an increasing problem while criminals are more often using crypto in a bid to avoid detection of their ill-gotten gains.

Norfolk police revealed it has confiscated six different types of cryptocurrency since 2017, including Bitcoin, ZCash, Stratis, Civic, OmiseGo and Basic Attention Tokens.

However force declined to put a value on the digital assets it had seized as part of a freedom of information request.

Eastern Daily Press: T/DS Mark Stratford and DS Sam Shevlin have been awarded judge’s commendations after the conviction of teenage hacker Elliott Gunton. Picture: Norfolk PoliceT/DS Mark Stratford and DS Sam Shevlin have been awarded judge’s commendations after the conviction of teenage hacker Elliott Gunton. Picture: Norfolk Police (Image: Archant)

In 2019 Norwich teenage hacker Elliott Gunton was sentenced to 20-months in prison for selling stolen personal data in exchange for cryptocurrency.

Officers later found more than £400,000, mainly in Bitcoin, locked inside a "nano-ledger" belonging to him.

The dangers of people investing in cryptocurrencies was highlighted this week when Norfolk man Gary Edwards, 71, revealed he and his wife had lost £30,000 in what they believe may have been a scam.