Tamil Nadu police launches Handbook to handle crypto cases

The director general of police (DGP) of Tamil Nadu, Shankar Jiwal took a proactive step on Friday by launching a specialized handbook for investigating virtual digital assets at the Police Headquarters in Chennai.

Officially titled Handbook for Investigations into Virtual Digital Assets, the publication offers practical support for law enforcement. As cryptocurrency continues to reshape India’s financial landscape, this initiative will help investigating officers to navigate in the web complex digital transactions that criminals often use to musk their actions.

It includes step-by-step investigative procedures, insights into prevalent crypto crimes like money laundering and Ponzi scheme. The handbook provides an overview of India’s legal framework for virtual digital assets, techniques for tracing transactions across exchanges and wallets, and strategies for handling cross-border cases with international dimensions.

Giottus, a major Indian cryptocurrency exchange, and Hash Legal, a law firm on the cutting edge of tech-related legal issues, worked together to make the handbook. The handbook’s goal is to give police officers the tools they need to stay ahead of crypto-driven crime.

Jiwal emphasized the handbook’s critical role in preparing investigators for the unique challenges of cryptocurrency cases.

“Resources like this are essential to close the expertise gap for officers handling crypto investigations. It’s an impressive effort, and I urge our police force to fully tap into the knowledge offered by organizations like Giottus,”

The handbook tries to give police officers the confidence they need to investigate crimes involving virtual digital assets by breaking down complicated blockchain concepts and processes.

Giottus intends to distribute the handbook to police agencies across all over India. It aims to help officers with training programs designed to enhance their skills in tracking, tracing, and prosecuting crypto-related offenses.

Vikram Subburaj, CEO of Giottus, revealed that the idea for the handbook emerged from years of dialogue with the law enforcement officials. “We noticed a reluctance among many officers to engage with crypto cases, often due to uncertainties about its legal status in India or doubts about solving such crimes. That’s why we created a straightforward, structured guide to demystify the process,” he explained.

Athif Ahmed, a partner at Hash Legal, added, “We’re proud to work with Giottus on this project. It’s about raising awareness of crypto crimes and providing a reliable resource for law enforcement. We’ve detailed all relevant legal provisions and scenarios to help agencies grasp these offenses and investigate them effectively. Equally important is ensuring victims of crypto crimes receive the same empathy as others. We hope this handbook fosters a fair approach that upholds justice while supporting those impacted.”