Sindri Þór Stefánsson, has fled the country to Sweden according to the police in the Southern Peninsula, vísir.is reports. Sindri fled from custody in the open prison in Sogn around 01:00 last night. It is believed that he had already boarded the plane headed to Stockholm when the police were alerted to his escape.
Bitcoin robbery
Sindri has been in custody from February 2nd for his alleged part in a robbery of 600 computers which were specially fitted for Bitcoin mining. The police have estimated the worth of the loot to be around 200 million ISK (2 million $, 1.6 million €). The three robberies took place in Reykjanesbær and Borgarbyggð in December and January. The police are investigating the robbery as part of an organized crime network and it is believed that the case involves individuals from other countries.
Flight to Sweden
The police have confirmed that Sindri left the country this morning to Arlanda airport in Stockholm, Sweden, at 07:34. He used another man’s name to travel, but Sindri was identified in footage from security cameras in Keflavík airport. RÚV.is reports that Icelandic prime minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir was among the passengers on the flight, en route to a meeting with the leaders meeting of the Nordic nations and the Indian prime minister. Icelandic police authorities will now work with Swedish police authorities to track down Sindri. An international arrest order has been issued for him.
Security guard turned robber
Sindri was one of two Icelandic males involved in the robbery. His role as a security guard for Öryggismiðstöðin, which handles security matters for the tech company Advania, enabled him to access the computers. Advania ran the data centres which the computers were situated in. It is not known what company or individuals are behind the Bitcoin mining enterprise, which has been on the rise in Iceland recently. Sindri worked for the security company for a number of years with a flawless record.
The open prison Sogn
Sogn is an open prison, with a minimum restriction on prisoner’s activities and movements, where low threat prisoner are trusted not to leave the premises. They are made aware of the fact that fleeing the premises has repercussions for their case. Gunnar Schram, the head police officer in the Southern Peninsula said that Sindri had some access to a computer and a phone. It is also common for prisoners to gain access to a mobile phone which enables easier access to the internet. The police are investigating whether this was the case for Sindri.
Reward available
The owners of the stolen computers from the data centre have offered a 6 million ISK (60,000 $, 48,000 €) reward for those who can give credible information about the whereabouts of the loot. The deadline for tips has been extended by two weeks to the 2nd of May. Those who have information regarding the case are encouraged to contact the police in the Southern Peninsula in the phone number 8320253.
