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| 150 arrested after DarkMarket shutdown |
A 10-month investigation into the shutdown of DarkMarket, the largest illegal marketplace on the Darknet, has led to the arrest of 150 suspected drug dealers and buyers.
As part of its international activities, DarkMarket halted production at the beginning of this year. According to a report by the European Union's law enforcement agency Europol, the site has about 500,000 users and has enabled about 320,000 transactions.
Customers have bought and sold everything from malware and stolen credit card information to weapons and drugs.
When German authorities arrested the alleged operator of the site in January of this year, they also found valuable evidence of the deal that led to the arrest of the main participants this week.
According to the US Department of Justice and Europol, Operation Dark Huntor was carried out several times in the United States (65 people), Germany (47 people), Great Britain (24 people) and Italy (4 people). Holland (4 people) and France. (3), Switzerland (2) and Bulgaria (1).
The arrest resulted in the confiscation of more than $31.6 million in cash and cryptocurrency, as well as 45 firearms and approximately 234 kilograms of narcotics, including cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, ecstasy, and fentanyl.
According to the Ministry of Justice, some investigations are still ongoing. In the course of this process, the Italian authorities also shut down two other darknet marketplaces, namely DeepSea and Berlusconi.
It also arrested four alleged managers and confiscated 3.6 million euros (4.17 million US dollars) in cryptocurrency.
The Dark Web was once considered a relatively safe haven for those who buy and sell drugs. However, international companies such as Dark Huntor often arrest suspects and quickly shut down markets.
Millions of dollars have been confiscated from DarkMarket
In the past few years, the list of closed dark web markets has become quite long. Including Dreams, Wall Street, White House, Deep Sea and Black Market.
While law enforcement agencies have yet to catch up with these sites, once existing markets are closed, new ones will emerge, but it makes it difficult for buyers and sellers to establish stable businesses.
"The purpose of this type of operation is to inform criminals operating on the dark web," said Europol's deputy director general.
Law enforcement agencies have the global resources and partnerships to track down criminals and hold them accountable for their illegal activities. Even in dark areas of the web.