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NSW Police arrested Jamie Lawrence Powrie on May 27, 2025, charging him with laundering over $5 million in cryptocurrency allegedly earned through illegal dark web activity.
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Strike Force Andalusia uncovered 52.3 bitcoin worth approximately $5.7 million during a raid on a south-west Sydney property, marking one of Australia’s largest ever cryptocurrency seizures.
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A judge granted Powrie bail with strict house arrest conditions, and he returned to court on July 27 for a case conference.
A 39-year-old man from NSW’s far south coast now sits under house arrest after a court granted him bail to fight charges tied to $5.7 million in bitcoin, allegedly earned through criminal activity on the dark web.
Jamie Lawrence Powrie appeared in Batemans Bay Local Court via video link from South Coast Correctional Centre for his bail hearing. The court charged him with dealing in proceeds of crime worth $5 million or more, failing to comply with a digital evidence access order, and supplying prohibited drugs of indictable quantity. Police arrested him on May 27, 2025.
Crown solicitor Kirsty MacKinnon, appearing for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, opposed bail and pointed to the gravity of the charges. She told the court that the prosecution would allege the accumulated cryptocurrency financed the purchase of the very house where police found Powrie at the time of his arrest. The court also heard that Powrie’s name appeared across the seized laptops, and that Powrie and a co-accused had a prior connection.
Powrie’s defence lawyer pushed back. He told the court that his client had spent considerable time in custody since May 2025 and that the case had suffered significant delays. He also described portions of the case as highly technical, arguing that building a proper defence from inside a correctional facility placed Powrie at a serious disadvantage.
Judge Doug Dick granted bail, citing the length of time Powrie had already spent in custody. The conditions remain strict. Powrie must stay under house arrest and will return to court on July 27 for a case conference.
NSW Strike Force Traces Bitcoin to Dark Web Crime
Powrie’s arrest came directly out of Strike Force Andalusia, a dedicated unit NSW Police established in September 2024. The task force targeted a large Bitcoin stash in a wallet suspected to be linked to illegal dark web activity.
On May 27, 2025, police searched a home in Surfside, a northern suburb of Batemans Bay. Officers seized several electronic devices along with approximately 7.2 grams of cocaine. A forensic examination of those devices led investigators to an additional $47,000 in cryptocurrency.
In the early hours of the same month, police moved on a second property in Ingleburn, a south-west Sydney suburb. That raid produced mobile phones and multiple electronic devices. Investigators then uncovered 52.3 bitcoin on those devices, valued at approximately $5.7 million.
Investigators Call it One of Australia’s Biggest Crypto Busts
NSW Police Commander of State Crime Command’s Cybercrime Squad, Detective Superintendent Matt Craft, described the find as extraordinary. According to Craft, the seizure ranked among the largest cryptocurrency recoveries ever recorded in the nation’s history.
The scale of crypto-related crime is significant. An email scam demanding $640 in Bitcoin threatens to sell victims’ data, highlighting how criminals use cryptocurrency for both large-scale money laundering and individual extortion.
The case highlights a wider trend of criminals using dark web markets to earn and store money in cryptocurrency. Bitcoin, long considered difficult to trace, increasingly sits at the centre of major investigations as forensic capabilities improve.
Investigations Remain Open as Authorities Eye Further Action
Powrie’s charges connect directly to this trend. Prosecutors allege he converted accumulated bitcoin into real estate, moving illicit digital earnings into physical assets. If proven, it would show an effort to launder criminal money through multiple financial channels.
Investigations under Strike Force Andalusia remain ongoing. Authorities have not ruled out additional arrests or charges as the case develops further. Powrie will next appear in court on July 27 for a case conference, where the case will move forward.
