Man granted bail over $5.7M Bitcoin haul from dark web

A man from the far south coast is under house arrest after being granted bail to fight charges over his alleged access to $5.7 million worth of bitcoin gained from illegal activity on the dark web.

Jamie Lawrence Powrie was arrested on May 27, 2025 and charged with dealing with property of the proceeds of crime equal to $5 million or more, failing to comply with a digital evidence access order and supplying prohibited drugs of indictable quantity.

The 39-year-old man appeared in Batemans Bay Local Court today via video link from South Coast Correctional Centre for a bail hearing.

The crown solicitor appearing for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Kirsty MacKinnon, referred to the seriousness of the charges in opposing bail.

Ms MacKinnon said the crown will be alleging the cryptocurrency was used to buy the house Mr Powrie was in at the time of his arrest.

The court also heard Mr Powrie's name was on the laptops seized and Mr Powrie and a co-accused were known to each other.

Mr Powrie's lawyer argued his client had been in custody since May 2025 and there had been "significant delays before the court".

His lawyer also told the court parts of the case were "technical" and it would be difficult for the accused to prepare his case in custody.

Judge Doug Dick granted Mr Powrie bail due to the length he had already been in custody and with strict conditions, including he remain under house arrest.

The matter will return to court on July 27.

One of the biggest crypto seizures

Mr Powrie's arrest was part of Strike Force Andalusia which was set up by the NSW Police in September 2024.

The strike force was tasked to investigate a large amount of bitcoin held in a cryptocurrency wallet, allegedly the proceeds of illegal activity on the dark net.

On 27 May 27, 2025, police searched a home in Surfside, a northern suburb of Batemans Bay, and allegedly seized several electronic devices and about 7.2 grams of cocaine.

During a forensic analysis of the devices, police allegedly seized $47,000 worth of cryptocurrency.

In the early hours of May this year, police raided a house in the south-west Sydney suburb of Ingleburn, seizing mobile phones and electronic devices which allegedly uncovered 52.3 bitcoin, valued at about $5.7 million.

NSW Police Commander of State Crime Command's Cybercrime Squad, Detective Superintendent Matt Craft, said the seizure was "one of the biggest cryptocurrency seizures in the nation's history".

Investigations under the strike force are ongoing.