The raid against providers and buyers on Darknet platforms took place in nine countries. Among other things, 234 kilograms of drugs and 45 firearms were seized.
The Hague – According to Europol, international investigators arrested 150 people in an action against crime on the Darknet, 47 of them in Germany alone.
More than 26 million euros had been confiscated, the European police authority announced on Tuesday in The Hague. A total of 234 kilograms of drugs and 45 firearms were also seized. Some of the suspects are classified as “high level targets” by Europol.
The “Dark HunTOR” campaign coordinated by Europol took place in nine countries – in Europe and the USA. It was aimed specifically at providers and buyers on darknet platforms, i.e. online marketplaces for illegal goods. Most people (65) were arrested in the US, followed by Germany (47) and the UK (24). The drugs seized included 152 kilograms of amphetamines, 27 kilograms of opiates and over 25,000 ecstasy pills. In the course of the campaign, Italy closed two illegal online marketplaces with a total of more than 100,000 offers of illegal goods.
According to Europol, “Dark HunTOR” followed the closure of the largest illegal market to date – “DarkMarket” – at the beginning of the year in Germany. At the time, German investigators arrested the operators and excavated the illegal infrastructure. As a result, according to Europol, a wealth of evidence was collected and made available to investigators around the world. Investigations are still ongoing in several countries, Europol said. dpa
