150 Darknet Vendors Arrested in International Law Enforcement Operation
Law enforcement agencies from the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Australia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland have announced the results of a large-scale operation called Dark HunTOR. During this operation, 150 suspects who previously sold illegal goods on DarkMarket were arrested. Additionally, Italian authorities shut down two darknet marketplaces—Berlusconi and DeepSea—as part of the same operation.
Background of Operation Dark HunTOR
Officials stated that Operation Dark HunTOR and the subsequent arrests followed the shutdown of one of the world’s largest underground marketplaces, DarkMarket, in January 2021. Like other similar platforms, DarkMarket was used to buy and sell drugs, counterfeit money, stolen credit card data, anonymous SIM cards, malware, and a variety of other illegal goods and services.
According to authorities, the marketplace had over 500,000 users, with more than 2,400 of them acting as vendors. In January, it was reported that more than 320,000 transactions had taken place on DarkMarket, totaling 4,650 BTC and 12,800 Monero (approximately €140 million in total).
“At that time [in January], German authorities arrested the alleged operator of the marketplace and seized the entire criminal infrastructure, which provided investigators worldwide with a wealth of evidence,” Europol said in a recent statement.
International Collaboration and Seizures
Data from the seized servers was shared with law enforcement agencies in various countries, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, which described the operation as “the largest international law enforcement action of its kind.” The DOJ also clarified that most of the suspects were drug dealers, selling or buying opioids and counterfeit medications on DarkMarket.
During the arrests, authorities seized more than €26.7 million in cash and cryptocurrency, 234 kg of drugs (including 152 kg of amphetamines, 27 kg of opioids, and over 25,000 ecstasy pills), and 45 firearms.
Arrests by Country
- United States: 65 people
- Germany: 47 people
- United Kingdom: 24 people
- Italy: 4 people
- Netherlands: 4 people
- France: 3 people
- Switzerland: 2 people
- Bulgaria: 1 person
Additional Marketplaces Shut Down
Italian authorities also reported shutting down two more darknet marketplaces (Berlusconi and DeepSea). Four administrators of these marketplaces have already been arrested, and law enforcement confiscated €3.6 million in cryptocurrency. In total, about 100,000 illegal items were listed for sale on these platforms.
Community Reaction and Official Statement
Interestingly, news of this large-scale international operation appears to have spread among darknet users even before the official announcement. For example, on a subreddit dedicated to darknet marketplaces, users were already urging each other to be more cautious. They advised others to carefully consider what information they share to avoid a similar fate.
“Before I finish, I want to address everyone who remains on the darknet, those who sell illegal drugs and think they are safe behind layers of digital anonymity. My message is very simple: ‘The dark web does not exist.’ We can shine a light on it, and we will,” said U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco at an official press conference.