German police spearheaded the effort, supported by Europol and Eurojust. The infrastructure was dismantled in the Netherlands, while arrests spanned Germany, Spain, and Sweden, including the suspected administrator—a 30-year-old German national arrested in Barcelona. Other key figures, such as moderators and top vendors, were also apprehended. The number of arrests and amount of money seized were the most for any international Justice Department-led drug trafficking operation, he said.
Gardai Found Substantial Assets, Most Notably Cryptocurrency, Namely Bitcoin And Monero During The Raid
Investigators launched a follow-up search in Harold’s Cross, a suburban neighbourhood also in south Dublin, where they seized more drugs as well as records of offshore bank accounts in Switzerland, Belize, Poland and a number of other countries. “A critical part of this operation was preservation of data on encrypted computers which related to the worldwide distribution of controlled drugs from this premises in Dublin,” said a Garda spokesman. Two men have been arrested and two assault rifles and ammunition seized during an operation targeting an organised crime group involved in the drugs trade. The arrests came following a search of a residence in north Co Dublin on the morning of August 5, 2024. Officers also found and seized computers with relevant data about the worldwide trafficking operation and storage of electronic currency such as Bitcoins. “Waste your resources on seizing petty websites because they know the use of darknet services is ever growing,” another user wrote.
STYX Market
The financial investigation in relation to this investigation is continuing with new information still coming to light at this time. Gardai said an international day of action to disrupt global activity on the Darknet and remove certain websites and forums is to conclude within the next 24 hours under the FBI/Europol operation codenamed Onymous. The other emerging issue is that current policing efforts treat dark web markets as the core threat, which might miss the wider landscape of digital harms. Illicit drug sales, for example, are promoted on social media, where platform features such as recommendation systems are affording new means of illicit drug supply. Gardaí described the bust as a “significant vendor” and said the arrests will be “of significant interest to many global law enforcement agencies who specialise in dark net investigations”.
- Discover everything about what a darknet market is, top marketplaces, security threats on them, and learn how to protect your data online.
- Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here.
- It enhances buyer transparency by importing vendor feedback with PGP proof.
- Sure, you might come across listings for legit products like handcrafted jewelry or digital art, but those are few and far between.
- McDonald purchased bulk quantities of fentanyl and cocaine and then directed others to complete hundreds of drug sales involving large quantities of both fentanyl and cocaine.
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However, use of the drug declined during the Covid-19 pandemic when nightlife shut down and had a “significant impact” on the market. While MDMA declined from peak levels in the early to mid-2000s, data shows it is on the rise again suggesting it is no longer a niche party drug. The drugs have been submitted to the Forensic Science Ireland for examination.
The dark web, which can only be accessed on browsers like Tor that mask the location of the device, is used as a “secret club for criminals”, where cryptocurrency can be used to buy drugs, he said. A Canadian market established in 2021, WTN offers over 9,000 products, including narcotics, fake goods, and digital services. It operates in both French and English and has built a reputation for ease-of-use.
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Now, that is not to say illegal behavior is completely beyond detection. The dark web combines encryption, anonymity, and hidden doorways to provide the perfect sanctuary for such illicit activity compared to the usual internet, which is more vulnerable and trackable. Of course, not all the popular and widely-used dark web sites and things like marketplaces on the dark net are illegal. Some use them due to privacy concerns, such as journalists talking to informants or whistleblowers, while others may simply want to protect their confidential information from observation or tracking. Nevertheless, most people on the internet do not need to communicate or venture into the dark web.
“At this time analysis is continuing with regard to storage of electro currency (Bitcoin) and CAB have already seized certain currency assets,” a spokesman added. While some of these markets were shuttered by law enforcement agencies – some took the easy way out with exit scams. Here are some of the now-defunct dark web markets that were notorious for cybercrime. Some dark web marketplaces even host content that’s not just illegal but extremely harmful, so it’s really important to understand the risks before diving in. Some are looking for illegal stuff they can’t buy elsewhere, like drugs or counterfeit documents. Archetyp’s use of Monero cryptocurrency highlights the challenges authorities face in tracking financial flows on the darknet.
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It brings in vendor reviews from other places and verifies them using PGP signatures, so buyers can feel a bit more confident about who they’re dealing with. There’s also a premium account option for users who want extra benefits. And when it comes to paying, the site sticks to Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR) to keep transactions private. Understandably, as in the case with most illicit trade markets, you don’t even need to verify your email Awazon. Friday marks the final day of operation Onymous, an FBI and Europol initiative to disrupt global activity on the darknet.
Criminal Hacking Services
The more proactive you are, the better you can protect yourself against identity theft and other cyber threats. And, of course, think twice before sharing too much personal details online. Even the smallest details about you can be useful to cybercriminals. That all is for general internet activities, you can guess how crucial having a VPN is when you hop onto something like the dark web.
It is also where many photographs and videos of child sex abuse are found. News Group Newspapers Limited does not permit the access, collection, text or data mining of any content from our Service by any automated means whether directly or through an intermediary service. “This is a major success for the DCRT and for public safety in Dublin. The sight of such assault rifles may cause concern but I want to reassure the public that this is not a routine occurrence and thanks to the vigilance of our Gardaí, these firearms were recovered from organised criminals. Six e-scooters, seven e-bikes, a diesel scrambler and an electric Surron scrambler were among the items seized, as well as a drone, a bicycle, cannabis worth €500 and €10,000 of liquid THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.
“It’s part of a cycle, and we’re in the chaotic part of the cycle. We’ll have to see how it recovers. But if I were a betting person I would put more money on it recovering than on it dramatically changing.” All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. Mannion’s legal team appealed his sentence because of what they believed to be unjustifiable disparity between the two. This page may contain sensitive or adult content that’s not for everyone.
Garda ‘dark Net’ Investigation Leads To Major Dublin Drugs Bust
An international day of action to disrupt global activity on the Darknet and remove certain websites and forums is to conclude within the next 24 hours under the FBI/Europol operation codenamed Onymous. This operation led by the German authorities marks the end of a criminal service that enabled the anonymous trade in high volumes of illicit drugs, including cocaine, MDMA, amphetamines, and synthetic opioids. The platform’s endurance, scale and reputation within the criminal community place it alongside now-defunct darknet markets such as Dream Market and Silk Road, both notorious for their role in facilitating online drug trafficking.
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- Two men have been arrested by gardaí after a significant quantity of cannabis was seized during an operation in Co Dublin targeting drug trafficking networks and related criminal activity.
- An international probe lead to the arrest of two suspects in Dublin and the seizure of almost €200,000 worth of drugs.
- The site gives out free samples of the stolen data every now and then to gain more customers.
- These anonymous marketplaces—operating mainly on the Tor network—are now a primary threat vector for businesses and cybersecurity professionals.
- Still, the disruption of Hydra dealt a “huge blow“ to the ecosystem, according to multiple sources on the Dark Web.
- It is also used to create online marketplaces for illegal products and services.
Why are these markets still seen as enticing places to sell drugs, despite the risks? To find out, our recent study surveyed 13 darknet drug vendors, via online encrypted interviews. These markets host hundreds, or in some cases thousands, of people who sell drugs, commonly referred to as “vendors”. The dark web offers vital anonymity for vendors and buyers, who use cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin to process transactions.
WeTheNorth is a Canadian market established in 2021 that also serves international users. It offers counterfeit documents, financial fraud tools, hacking and malware services. It has an active forum and community along with an extensive user vetting process. At the same time, experts are calling for more education about darknet dangers – especially for younger users who discover access to such markets through Telegram or forums. More than six years after the demise of Silk Road, the world’s first major drug cryptomarket, the dark web is still home to a thriving trade in illicit drugs. For the first time, FBI agents from all of the bureau’s field offices visited buyers to tell them about the overdose danger of pills sold online, which are often disguised to look like prescription drugs.
The whole idea just seems so sketchy to me and it seems pretty easy to get caught I know police are after the sellers not the buyers but still I’d be too paranoid to buy drugs off the internet. An international probe lead to the arrest of two suspects in Dublin and the seizure of almost €200,000 worth of drugs. Compared to its predecessors, Archetyp enforced enhanced security expectations from its users. These included an advanced encryption program known as “Pretty Good Privacy” and a cryptocurrency called Monero. Unlike Bitcoin, which records every payment on a public ledger, Monero conceals all transaction details by default, which makes them nearly impossible to trace. “With the invaluable assistance of the CAB and Computer Crime Investigation Unit, a number of computers were safely retrieved with accessible information immediately at the time of entry on this search”.
