Europol and the FBI have carried out a large-scale seizure on the dark net. The authorities have made several arrests of sellers and buyers but have also seized millions of dollars in addition to firearms and other drugs.
Going to the dark net in itself is not illegal. There are several methods and it is your facts there that may be illegal. Inevitably, in this decentralized network, many illegal activities take place there, such as the sale of drugs and weapons. Huge dragnet in Europe since a vast police operation allowed the arrest of sellers and customers. There is also talk of $ 55.9 million seized in cash and cryptocurrency in addition to a lot of illicit goods.
To read > Dark Web: what is it and how can we access it, we tell you everything
How could the authorities have carried out this dragnet?
Europol and FBI announce massive dark net crackdown in global operation called SpecTor. Authorities identified and then seized out of 288 sellers and customers. Law enforcement also recovered no less $55.9 million in cash and cryptocurrencies.
Europol has compiled all the intelligence based on proofs provided by German authorities who successfully seized the criminal infrastructure (called Monopoly Market) in December 2021.
Europol, since this Monopoly Market data where sellers and customers exchanged illicit goodswas able to build arrest records.
These target files, created by cross-checking and analyzing collected data and evidence, served as the basis for hundreds of national surveys. The sellers arrested following the police action against Monopoly Market were also active on other illegal marketplaces. This further hinders the trade of drugs and illicit goods on the dark net.
Read > Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter… How much does your darknet account cost?
What illicit goods have been confiscated by the authorities?
This dragnet allowed Europol to seize 850 kg of drugs. We find cocaine, amphetamines, MDMA, LSD or even ecstasy. The authorities also got their hands out of 117 firearms. Here is where the arrested people were:
- UNITED STATES : 153 arrests
- Germany : 52 arrests
- The Netherlands : 10 arrests
- Austria: 9 arrests
Police forces from England, France, Poland, Germany, Austria, Brazil and Switzerland were mobilised.
