Apr 29, 2023
Discovering the Top Darknet Markets for Drugs in 2023
According to prosecutors, Hyun Ji Martin and her cohorts reportedly sent over 1,600 packages across the United States using fake names. As a result, authorities seized a whopping 8 million euros (or $53.4 million) in cash and digital currencies, along with 850 kilograms of narcotics and 117 firearms in a string of operations across multiple countries. And these staggering numbers only account for a mere three of the 65 arrests made in the United States.
As part of the biggest operation of its kind, Europe has arrested almost 300 people and confiscated over 53 million, while also shutting down a dark web marketplace, in an international crackdown on drug trafficking. Europol has indicated that investigations are still ongoing to identify further individuals linked to dark web accounts.
Discover the Top Darknet Drug Sites for 2023
In 2022, Anton Peck, aged 29 from Boca Raton, Florida, received a 16-year prison sentence after being found guilty of conspiring to possess and distribute controlled substances such as fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. This marks a change in approach, as Peck and his accomplice were reportedly involved in the sale of fake oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl, which they sold for cryptocurrency.
Operation SpecTor was a joint effort by law enforcement agencies across three continents to disrupt the sale of drugs on the dark web. This operation resulted in the highest amount of funds seized and the largest number of arrests in any coordinated international action led by the Department of Justice. In the Netherlands, where 10 suspects were apprehended, the operation comprised several actions that were carried out in nine countries over a period of 18 months.
The crackdown on Monopoly Market is the most recent effort to dismantle online marketplaces for illicit drugs and other prohibited items on the darknet, a segment of the internet that operates on an encrypted network and is only accessible through specialized anonymity-providing tools. Tragically, a promising young man lost his life last year due to the availability of these drugs. Interestingly, Dutch authorities took over Hansa for nearly a month in 2018.
The Cryptic World of Bitcoin-Powered Darknet Drug Trade
The dismantling of DarkMarket by German authorities last January not only put an end to the largest illicit online drug market at the time, but it also helped investigators gain insights from local police probes of drug overdose deaths, including that of a 19-year-old language enthusiast and computer builder from Colorado, as per the statement of FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate.
The outcome of the inquiry led to the prosecution of 100 individuals at the federal level. The majority of the apprehensions happened in the United States, where a drug overdose epidemic is currently taking place. Operation DisrupTor, on the other hand, resulted in an equal number of arrests but twice the amount of confiscated drugs.
The Shadowy World of Darknet Drugs: A Closer Look at the Black Market
November saw darknet drugs a crackdown on darknet drugs, but there's a sense that this operation is unique. With law enforcement now able to access the extensive buyer lists of vendors, thousands of customers worldwide could face prosecution.
According to reports, Holly Adams, aged 31, is accused of selling almost $2 million worth of drugs on the darknet. The authorities apprehended her and seized approximately 450 pounds of suspected narcotics. Along with Devlin Hosner, aged 33, both were indicted by a federal grand jury on May 12, 2022. They are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, as well as conspiracy to launder money.
Prior to the operation revealed on Tuesday, Germany and the United States had successfully carried out the most extensive drug trafficking operation under the guidance of the Justice Department. The amount of money seized and the number of arrests made marked a record high for any such operation on an international level, according to the official.
The SpecTor operation, carried out by the Cyber Enabled Crime Team of the Dutch national police, targeted the darknet drug trade. The operation resulted in the apprehension of several individuals involved in the illicit trade and the seizure of over 20 servers located in Moldova and Ukraine. These servers contained valuable information about the buyers and sellers on the darknet drug sites.
The largest investigation of drug traffickers on the dark web has been called by Attorney General Merrick Garland, according to Patrick Colson-Price of the Associated Press. This operation serves as a powerful message to criminals on the dark web that international law enforcement has the capability to identify and hold them responsible for their illicit activities, even on the dark web. The FBI is proud to work alongside both domestic and foreign partners to shed light on the darkest corners of the dark net and bring to justice those who continue to spread this harmful substance globally.
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