Police forces around the globe have seized greater than $6.5m (£5m) in money and digital currencies, in addition to medicine and weapons in a co-ordinated raid on darkish internet marketplaces.
Some 179 folks have been arrested throughout Europe and the US, and 500kg (1,102lb) of medication and 64 weapons confiscated.
“The hidden web is now not hidden”, stated Edvardas Sileris, head of Europol’s cyber-crime centre.
The operation, generally known as DisrupTor, was a joint effort between the Division of Justice and Europol. It’s believed that the criminals engaged in tens of hundreds of gross sales of illicit items and providers throughout the US and Europe.
Medicine seized together with fentanyl, oxycodone, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and MDMA.
Of these arrested 119 have been primarily based within the US, two in Canada, 42 in Germany, eight within the Netherlands, 4 within the UK, three in Austria and one in Sweden.
Police are getting higher at focusing on operations on the darkish internet – part of the web that’s accessible solely by way of specialised instruments. This newest raid follows the takedown of the Wall Road market final yr, which was then regarded as the second largest unlawful on-line market on the darkish internet.
Mr Sileris stated: “Regulation enforcement is only when working collectively, and at the moment’s announcement sends a powerful message to criminals promoting or shopping for illicit items on the darkish internet: the hidden web is now not hidden and your nameless exercise shouldn’t be nameless.”
“With the spike in opioid-related overdose deaths through the Covid-19 pandemic, we recognise that at the moment’s announcement is vital and well timed,” stated FBI director Christopher Wray.