{"id":572918,"date":"2023-05-03T20:17:57","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T17:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/europols-operation-spector-leads-to-massive-dark-web-drug-bust\/"},"modified":"2023-05-03T20:17:57","modified_gmt":"2023-05-03T17:17:57","slug":"europols-operation-spector-leads-to-massive-dark-web-drug-bust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/europols-operation-spector-leads-to-massive-dark-web-drug-bust\/","title":{"rendered":"#Europol\u2019s Operation SpecTor leads to massive dark web drug bust"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3db813076e6\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3db813076e6\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/europols-operation-spector-leads-to-massive-dark-web-drug-bust\/#Transaction_data_sped_up_investigations\" >Transaction data sped up investigations<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image?fit=796%2C417&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2023%2F05%2FShutterstock_591402104-e1683133291978.jpg&amp;signature=190ccf315f627061306b82f4ab38b88e\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n                            <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coordinated by Europol and the US Department of Justice, yesterday, Operation SpecTor seized over \u20ac50mn in cash and cryptocurrency, 850 kg of drugs (including amphetamines, cocaine, MDMA and ecstasy pills) and 117 firearms. The latter, contrary to Europol\u2019s choice of emoji, were in all likelihood not water pistols.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\udea8 288 dark web vendors arrested in major marketplace seizure.<\/p>\n<p>Operation <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SpecTor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#SpecTor<\/a> led to the seizure of:<br \/>\ud83d\udcb6 EUR 50.8 million<br \/>\ud83d\udc8a 850 kg of drugs<br \/>\ud83d\udd2b 117 firearms<\/p>\n<p>The <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/MonopolyMarket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#MonopolyMarket<\/a> vendors arrested were also active on other illicit marketplaces.<\/p>\n<p>More \u2935\ufe0f<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fDbWJbeFiM\">https:\/\/t.co\/fDbWJbeFiM<\/a> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/086e1XMCUo\">pic.twitter.com\/086e1XMCUo<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Europol (@Europol) <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Europol\/status\/1653369324587843586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 2, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The arrested vendors were operating on the marketplace Monopoly Market, selling drugs to customers in exchange for digital currencies. Monopoly has been active since 2019, and one of the candidates hoping for a bigger slice of the darknet pie after law enforcement shut down its highest earner Hydra in April 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper channel-cta\">\n<div class=\"ica-text\">\n<p class=\"ica-text__title\">Join us in June for TNW Conference &amp; save 50% now<\/p>\n<p>Make use of our 2for1 sale and bring your friend along<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis operation sends a strong message to criminals on the dark web: international law enforcement has the means and the ability to identify and hold you accountable for your illegal activities, even on the dark web,\u201d Europol\u2019s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.europol.europa.eu\/media-press\/newsroom\/news\/288-dark-web-vendors-arrested-in-major-marketplace-seizure\">commented<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Across Europe, the synchronised arrests took place in the UK (55), Germany (52), the Netherlands (10), Austria (9), France (5), Switzerland (2) and Poland (1). Furthermore, 155 individuals were arrested in the US, and one in Brazil. Europol stated that a number of the suspects arrested were \u201chigh-value targets.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition, authorities obtained buyer lists from the vendors, which could potentially result in the arrests of \u201cthousands of customers\u201d across the globe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Transaction_data_sped_up_investigations\"><\/span>Transaction data sped up investigations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">German law enforcement managed to seize the \u201ccriminal infrastructure\u201d supporting the site in 2021. Since then, they have been able to gather intelligence packages that have served as the basis for hundreds of national investigations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe intelligence that Europol shared with us, such as transaction data and virtual currency addresses, helped us to start new investigations and to enrich existing investigations,\u201d the leader of the Dutch team, Nan van de Coevering, <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchnews.nl\/news\/2023\/05\/international-police-arrest-288-worldwide-in-dark-web-bust\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">told media<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the Netherlands.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the US, the operation was led by the Department of Justice\u2019s Joint Criminal and Opioid Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team, set up in 2018. <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/largest-international-operation-against-darknet-trafficking-fentanyl-and-opioids-results\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, SpecTor \u201crepresents the most funds seized and the highest number of arrests in any coordinated international action led by the Justice Department against drug traffickers on the dark web.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 18-month long SpecTor operation is the latest in a row of aptly named high-profile darknet busts by international law enforcement. DisrupTor took place in 2020 with 179 arrests, and Dark HunTor in 2021 with 150 arrests.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before it was shut down last year, Russia-based Hydra had about 17 million customers and focused on the trade of illicit drugs, cyberattack tools, forged documents and stolen data.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hydra had an estimated revenue of \u20ac1.23bn, and German authorities seized \u20ac23mn in cryptocurrencies during the bust. Following its shutdown, there was <span>an im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>te sector-wide precipitous decline in daily dark web market revenues, from around \u20ac4 million to close to \u20ac400,000, according to research from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.chainalysis.com\/reports\/how-darknet-markets-fought-for-users-in-wake-of-hydra-collapse-2022\/\">Chainalysis.<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span>Closing down Monopoly may not have the same effect, but the ripples will be felt throughout the darknet nonetheless.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/europols-operation-spector-leads-massive-dark-web-drug-bust\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Coordinated by Europol and the US Department of Justice, yesterday, Operation SpecTor seized over \u20ac50mn in cash and cryptocurrency, 850 kg of drugs (including amphetamines, cocaine, MDMA and ecstasy pills) and 117 firearms. The latter, contrary to Europol\u2019s choice of emoji, were in all likelihood not water pistols. \ud83d\udea8 288 dark web vendors arrested in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":572919,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw-blurple?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/05\/Shutterstock_591402104-e1683133291978.jpg&signature=552c2631b336fb3c7703515df42153f3","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-572918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=572918"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572918\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/572919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=572918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=572918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=572918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}