An international operation coordinated by Europol led to the arrest of 288 people involved in the illegal trade of drugs, weapons and cryptocurrencies on the platform Monopoly Marketin the Dark Web. This is the summary of theSpecTor operationwhich saw the collaboration of authorities and law enforcement agencies from eight countries.
What is Monopoly Market on the dark web
The SpecTor operation began in December 2021, when the German police shut down the marketplace Monopoly Market, founded in 2019 and active on the dark web. This, for the less accustomed to the secrets of the network, is one hidden part of the internetaccessible only through specific software, where illegal activities are carried out and the controls of the authorities are evaded.
The analysis of the information collected by the German police made it possible to identify and arrest the sellers who operated on Monopoly Market also from other countries of the world. A real joint operation guaranteed by the collaboration of the authorities of various continents (including USA, Brazil, UK, Switzerland and France).
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Operation SpecTor: 50 million euros and 850 kg of drugs seized
The SpecTor operation also led to the seizure of 50.8 million euros in cash and cryptocurrencies, 117 firearms and 850 kilograms of narcotics. Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Monero, are often used to pay for illegal transactions on the dark web, as they make it difficult to trace those involved. Among those arrested there are also buyers of illicit substances.
The SpecTor operation is not the first of its kind. Already in April 2022, another joint operation between the authorities of Germany and the United States had led to the closure of Hydraconsidered the largest platform in the entire dark qeb, with an estimated turnover of 1.23 billion euros.