Crypto firm Tether says it has frozen $225 million linked to human trafficking

FILE PHOTO: Tether logo is seen in this illustration taken March 31, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - Crypto firm Tether said on Monday that it had frozen $225 million worth of its cryptocurrency which it said had been linked to a human trafficking group in Southeast Asia.

The U.S. Secret Service asked Tether to freeze the tokens during a "months-long investigative effort" by Tether and the crypto exchange OKX, Tether said in a blog post, without giving details about the scope or timescale of the investigation.