Czech police have reportedly arrested darknet marketplace founder Tomas Jirikovsky in connection with a $45 million Bitcoin donation that prompted the resignation of former Justice Minister Pavel Blazek earlier this year.
Czech police intervened in the Bitcoin (BTC) donation case that led to Blazek’s resignation on Thursday. According to Chief State Prosecutor Radim Dragoun, authorities were “securing people and things.” “This is a criminal case that was recently separated by the police authority for independent proceedings from joint proceedings,” Dragoun said.
Although the statement did not mention any arrests, some local reports suggest that police detained Tomas Jirikovsky, a convicted criminal who allegedly paid 468 BTC (worth around $45 million at the time) to the minister to avoid a new prison sentence.
Bitcoin donor attempts escape before police arrest
Jirikovsky reportedly tried to escape police by climbing onto the roof of his home during the raid on Thursday night, Deník N reported Friday.
His ex-wife confirmed the intervention, saying a neighbor alerted her to the rooftop drama. The police then apprehended Jirikovsky and took him into custody, the report said.
Jirikovsky is a Czech programmer and the architect of the illegal darknet marketplace Sheep Marketplace, which was linked to drug trafficking, weapons sales and counterfeit goods.
Nine-year prison sentence and parole in 2021
According to Seznam Zprávy, Jirikovsky is estimated to have generated 680 BTC from operating Sheep Marketplace, which he launched in early 2013 when Bitcoin was valued at around $100.
After terminating the marketplace in December 2013 amid the shutdown of Silk Road, Jirikovsky also reportedly stole an additional 841 BTC from the platform’s buyers and sellers, bringing his personal Bitcoin fortune to at least 1,500 BTC.
In 2017, the Brno Regional Court sentenced him to nine years in prison for embezzlement, drug trafficking and illegal arms possession related to Sheep Marketplace. He was released on parole in 2021 after serving half his sentence for good behavior.
Related: UK officer jailed for 50 Bitcoin theft during Silk Road 2.0 probe
However, the story didn’t end there, as Czech authorities never recovered Jirikovsky’s Bitcoin holdings, which are suspected to be far more than 1,500 BTC.
Ongoing controversy
Czech minister Blazek faced a scandal in May after accepting a Bitcoin donation from a convicted drug dealer, with local reports quickly suggesting Jirikovsky’s involvement.
Seznam Zprávy linked the 468 BTC donation to Nucleus, another darknet marketplace holding 5,000 BTC in its wallet and reportedly connected to the programmer.
The allegations surfaced shortly after blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence traced a $77.5 million Bitcoin transaction from a Nucleus wallet in March 2025, the platform’s first transaction in nine years.
According to Lucien Bourdon, a Bitcoin analyst at Prague-based hardware wallet company Trezor, Jirikovsky’s saga is a reminder that criminal BTC activity is traceable onchain.
“While regular folks have good privacy options, if you’re a criminal or a government Bitcoin isn’t great for moving money quietly,” Bourdon told Cointelegraph.
“Large transfers can be traced forever. Imagine if every fiat transaction involving governments was just as visible. That’s the kind of accountability we should strive for,” he added.
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