- Europol takes down Archetyp Market after five years of investigation
- One person was arrested, and “measures” taken against others
- Millions in different assets were seized
A massive international law enforcement operation has seen one of the longest-standing dark web marketplaces finally taken offline.
Europol said a large-scale operation saw it dismantle Archetyp Market, described as a “drug marketplace” that allowed, among other things, the sale of fentanyl, one of the most dangerous synthetic opioids out there.
Archetyp Market operated for more than five years, numbering more than 600,000 users, and amassing a total transaction volume of more than $280 million. By the time it was dismantled, it had more than 17,000 listings, Europol claims.
Farewell Archetyp Market
The infrastructure was found in the Netherlands, and was subsequently dismantled.
A 30-year-old German national was found in Barcelona, Spain, and arrested. “Measures” were taken against one alleged moderator, and six people described as “the marketplace’s highest vendors”.
The agency did not detail what these “measures” were, but added that it seized $9 million in assets.
“With this takedown, law enforcement has taken out one of the dark web’s longest-running drug markets, cutting off a major supply line for some of the world’s most dangerous substances,” commented Europol’s Deputy Executive Director of Operations Jean-Philippe Lecouffe.
“By dismantling its infrastructure and arresting its key players, we are sending a clear message: there is no safe haven for those who profit from harm.”
Europol said the action was the result of “years of intensive investigative work”, during which detectives mapped out the platform’s technical architecture and identified the individuals behind it. They were following the money trail, and analyzed digital forensic evidence, allowing them to determine key players and important locations.
The operation was conducted between June 11 and 13 in five European countries: Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden.
Besides national police forces and Europol, other agencies were involved as well: Eurojust, and the US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Department of Justice (USDOJ).
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