Ex-Cryptopia staffer admits stealing almost $250k of cryptocurrency stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The hack was not related to the former employee s charges. In May 2019, the company was placed into liquidation, an ongoing process being managed by accountancy firm Grant Thornton. According to the summary of facts from Monday’s hearing, the former employee allegedly raised concerns with management around the security of private keys for numerous wallets held by the company. It described cryptocurrency wallets as being similar to an electronic bank account with an attached eftpos card. For a person to deposit into a wallet, all that is needed is an account number, known as a “public address”. For the account owner or administrator to withdraw or transfer funds from that wallet, an additional number is required, a private key – similar to a PIN on an eftpos card.
The Southern police district had 571mg, while Wellington had 529mg. The three districts are the only ones to have a greater number than the national average. In February 2020 MDMA use was up by 296 per cent in Canterbury from the month prior, which police attribute to the Electric Avenue music festival, alongside university orientation events. Canterbury district organised crime manager Detective Senior Sergeant Joel Syme said police were concerned about the region’s high usage rate.
Stuff understands police across the country are targeting those supplying the drug. It is unclear whether the organised criminal groups behind the supply are gangs or a white-collar criminal syndicate wanting a slice of the pie.
A fire on Greymouth s Willis Stwas set on fire December 18. Several damaged cars parked at Prestons Rd in Blaketown were then set on fire at 10.15pm on January 2. About 20 minutes after that, a fire was lit underneath another campervan parked at the Blaketown tiphead campervan park. “Thankfully no-one was injured as a result of any of these fires but police are treating each incident extremely seriously,” Simpson said. Police were particularly concerned by the two campervan fires as people were staying in the vehicles at the time, he said. “Police are determined to find the person or people responsible for these fires, and officers will be conducting reassurance patrols in the tiphead areas.