Ex-Police Officer Faces Charges in Zondacrypto Investigation

Key Developments in Zondacrypto Investigation

• A former Polish police officer has been charged with organized crime, fraud, and money laundering linked to the Zondacrypto exchange collapse.
• Investigations are ongoing at a fuel depot, the last known location of Zondacrypto's missing founder, Sylwester Suszek.
• At least five additional people have faced charges since August due to complaints from thousands of exchange customers.

In a notable turn of events, Polish law enforcement has charged a former police officer in connection with the downfall of the Zondacrypto cryptocurrency exchange. This comes as investigations intensify at a fuel depot that is associated with the last known whereabouts of the exchange's founder, who disappeared in March 2022.

Artur K., the individual in question, was apprehended by Poland's Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime following instructions from the organized crime unit of the National Prosecutor's Office. He is facing two serious charges.

Dziś funkcjonariusze CBZC na polecenie Śląskiego Wydziału Zamiejscowego PK zatrzymali Artura K.

Zarzuty dla Artura K. to udział w grupie przestępczej, pomoc w przywłaszczeniu pieniędzy użytkowników giełdy kryptowalutowej ZondaCrypto i pranie pieniędzy pochodzących z tego…

— Waldemar Żurek (@w_zurek) September 22, 2026

The first charge relates to his suspected involvement in an organized criminal group, while the second concerns various offenses, including significant property damage to multiple entities and facilitating the misappropriation of user funds.

Artur K. is referred to by his first name and initial according to Polish law. Reports from Polish Radio indicate his previous role as a police officer. During a raid, authorities uncovered documents pertaining to Zondacrypto's operations, and he is currently under investigation as a suspect.

Meanwhile, a police team in Katowice is examining the fuel depot linked to Sylwester Suszek's last sighting. This investigation is being treated as a case of unlawful deprivation of liberty, rather than merely a disappearance, as prior suspects have been implicated in evidence tampering.

Zondacrypto, initially founded in 2014 as BitBay, relocated its operations to Estonia in 2020 and ceased all activities in April 2022 after halting withdrawals. The Estonian financial authority subsequently annulled its operating license in June.

Since August, multiple charges have been filed against at least five others, including Radosław P., the former leader of the Polish Olympic Committee. All parties have denied wrongdoing, with legal proceedings ongoing.