One of the suspects arrested in Icelands "Big Bitcoin Heist" has reportedly fled the country for Sweden.
According to the Associated Press, Sindri Thor Stefansson likely left a "low-security prison" in the southern region of the country on Wednesday. He then apparently made his way to the Keflavik International Airport and boarded a flight bound for Stockholm. Coincidentally, Icelands prime minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, was also on the very same flight.
Stefansson, who was one of 11 suspects arrested over the recent theft of 600 bitcoin-mining computers, likely did not have to show a passport in order to board his flight as Iceland is part of the European passport-free Schengen zone.
"Swedish police spokesman Stefan Dangardt says no arrest has been made in Sweden, but Icelandic police have briefed them on the situation and issued an international arrest warrant," the AP reported.
The English-language Reykjavik Grapevine reported further that "Páll Winkel, the Director of the Icelandic Prison Service, told [Icelandic broadcaster] RÚV that there were no indications that Sindri was a flight risk."
The Grapevine also noted: "People do occasionally break out of prison in Iceland, but they usually do not get very far on account of it being an island nation with an unforgiving wilderness. Sindri, however, managed to accomplish the unheard of."
As Ars has reported previously, given that electricity is relatively cheap in Iceland compared to other parts of Europe—thanks to the country's plentiful geothermal energy—bitcoin mining has been in high demand despite Iceland's population of just over 300,000 people.
Later this year, bitcoin mining is expected to draw more energy than all of Iceland's residents combined.
[contf] [contfnew] 
Ars Technica
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
