Yes i think there is a relation because of bitcoin nature as an anonymous currency usable online and offline it might have increased some online crimes like cross-continent drug dealing and with no ID's and evidence. And so some criminals had the idea of using bitcoins to use bitcoin in their crimes.
I don't agree with that because even before the advent of bitcoin, have they been able to curb crime, they devise ways to discourage movement of cash, still they could not stop crime. They come again and said any money above $10000 is money laundering yet they couldn't stop crime. What I see is someone trying to find a way to give bitcoin a bad name is other to slow down its process and popularity among the populace.