French Intelligence Agents Accused Of Trading State Secrets for Bitcoin

by Josphat Kariuki

The unnamed agent who was working with the DGSI (Générale de la Sécurité Intérieure) was arrested two days after being indicted last Wednesday.

The agent is accused of selling confidential economic information over the web and potentially falsifying documents. The suspect has been working with members of organized crime organizations and economic specialists. However, there is no proof that the agent has been working with terrorists.

According to local news outlets, the leaks were first discovered by the agents of the French Central Directorate of Judicial Police – a crime-fighting organization in the country. The agents at the DGSI then used the suspect’s code to monitor his online activities.

In detail, the agency’s internal security officers tracked the source of file queries while conducting their investigations. According to local reports, the criminal network which has been working with the agent was dismantled by the agency tracking of “irregular immigration” in France.

It’s not yet clear the amount of information that has been sold or the amount of Bitcoin that the agent had acquired. If found guilty, the agent will face a seven-year jail term and a potential fine of up to €100,000.