And finally…criminals pumping cash into newsagent cryptocurrency ATMs to launder loot

Scotland Yard warned that illegal cash could be deposited into the machines – which converts the money into digital currency such as Bitcoin.

It is believed there are 91 cryptocurrency ATMs across the UK, and the Met said there have been reports of criminals simply walking into the stores to pump in wads of cash.

And as Bitcoin continued its rollercoaster ride this week to soared about 70 per cent as it even briefly crossed the $17,000 (£12,615) mark, criminals may even be managing to inflate the value of their criminal activities.

All online currencies are highly encrypted and some are marketed specifically for the ‘privacy conscious’.

According to reports, criminals are using pay-as-you-go mobile phones, bought with cash and soon thrown away, to set up bitcoin accounts so these ‘online wallets’ cannot be traced back to them.

There is also no paperwork trail for police to follow because there are no bank statements or bitcoin certificates.

Criminals can put bank notes directly into a bitcoin ATM and turn them into bitcoin currency, without the notes being checked by a bank clerk or bank cash machine.

Detective Superintendent Nick Stevens, of the Met’s Serious and Organised Crime Command, said they have identified the use of cryptocurrency in organised criminality and are taking action to combat the threat.