Europol Shuts Down More Than 30,000 Pirate Websites

In a joint operation involving law enforcement agencies from the EU and the United States, Europol has taken down 30,506 websites distributing counterfeit and pirated goods. The domain names were used to sell a variety of illegal products and services, including counterfeit pharmaceuticals and movies, illegal streaming services, music, software, electronics, and more.

Details of the Operation

During the operation, authorities arrested three suspects and seized 26,000 luxury items such as clothing and perfumes, 363 liters of alcoholic beverages, and numerous hardware devices. Authorities also discovered a total of 150,000 euros on several bank accounts and online payment platforms.

Part of a Larger Initiative

This operation is part of a much larger project called “Operation In Our Sites,” which was launched in 2014 to make the internet a safer place.

Previous Europol Actions

Earlier this year, in May, Europol also shut down two underground marketplaces—Wall Street Market and Silkkitie (also known as Valhalla)—which offered various illegal goods, from drugs to malicious software. Wall Street Market had over 1.1 million users and more than 5,000 registered sellers.

On November 29, Europol announced the dismantling of a cybercriminal network involved in distributing the Imminent Monitor RAT (IM-RAT) malware tool, which allowed criminals to gain remote access to victims’ computers.