Gardaí discovered €143,000 worth of drugs as well as a vacuum pack machine, some weighing scales, VISA cards, envelopes and some postage labels. Computers and documents relating to off shore bank accounts in Switzerland, Belize and Poland were also uncovered. Ultimately, this disruption to accessibility is not a unique event. In fact, it is routine for individuals participating in these dark web communities, par for the course of engaging in the markets. Usually these products are sent to the buyer by post and money transferred to the seller through the escrow system.
BBC News Services
“This operation by the Dublin Crime Response Team led to the seizure of two military-style assault rifles, ammunition, a significant quantity of drugs, and the arrests of two men for drugs and firearms offences. It has emerged as one of the biggest online trading places for illicit drugs since its establishment 12 months ago when it replaced the original Silk Road site after it was disabled by the US authorities. “With the invaluable assistance of the CAB and CCIU a number of computers were safely retrieved with accessible information immediately at the time of entry on this search. “With the invaluable assistance of the CAB and CCIU a number of computers were safely retrieved with accessible information immediately at the time of entry on this search,” said a Garda statement.
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Gardaí have seized a number of electric motorbikes, e-bikes and e-scooters suspected of being used in criminal activity in Dublin. Gardai also made a small seizure of drugs and offshore banking documents after searching a premises in Harolds Cross, Dublin 6. Ecstasy tablets, LSD and other controlled drugs to value €180,000 have been seized by gardaí in a raid on ‘Darknet’ drug distribution centre in Dublin. But don’t expect the dark web’s downtime to last, says Roman Sannikov, an analyst at security firm Recorded Future. “My guess would be the lower-tier markets just grow in prominence again,” he says.
- “Satisfied customer, will be back,” writes one user on the product page of a meth dealer with the handle shardyshardface.
- They’re tightening security and carefully screening anyone who wants to join.
- It is used by many for buying or selling items that are prohibited on the regular internet, like fake IDs, illegal drugs, and stolen data.
- Then, you can set up 2FA (two-factor authentication) for that extra touch of security in case someone somehow figures out your password.
- Transactions are encrypted, anonymized, and hardly visible to investigative authorities.
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The cybercriminals trade even sensitive documents, such as medical records, passport information, and driver’s licenses. BidenCash is another latest marketplace that started in 2022, and is now home to sensitive financial data transactions. This is where cybercriminals go to buy and sell things like stolen credit card numbers, personally identifiable information (PII), and even SSH login details. One thing that distinguishes BidenCash on the dark web, however, is how it markets itself.
- In a report, ‘Drugs and the Darknet’, two agencies said that the hidden online network was very resilient and was able to “quickly absorb law enforcement actions” such as the takedown of a major marketplace.
- N 2025, dark web websites frequently change domains and are often short-lived.
- It brings in vendor reviews from other places and verifies them using PGP signatures, so buyers can feel a bit more confident about who they’re dealing with.
- Operation RapTor involves law enforcement actions taken by JCODE member agencies, including the DEA, FBI, FDA OCI, HSI, IRS-CI, and USPIS.
- With its fast rise to fame and focus on money fraud, it’s no surprise that cybersecurity experts are keeping a very close eye on this one.
STYX Market
Just as there are new entrants, the dark web has its veteran markets too, and Brian’s Club is one such market. It has been in operation for more than a decade since its debut in 2014. Brian’s Club is one of the best place to buy stolen credit card info, including CVVs, dumps, and even full account packages without revealing your identity. Although these marketplaces are continuously shut down by law enforcement agencies, they still work today. Interestingly, new sites get more hype, and it even becomes difficult to shut them down, as they have better security than the older ones. Bitcoins, a digital currency used to pay for anonymous transactions over the internet, worth “between 1.5m and 2m euros”, were found on computers seized during the raid.
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Synthetic opioids, especially fentanyl, have been linked to a surge in overdose deaths worldwide. By shutting down Archetyp, authorities have not only disrupted a criminal marketplace but potentially saved lives by limiting access to some of the deadliest substances available online. On one hand, it offers privacy for whistleblowers, journalists, and citizens in oppressive countries. On the other hand, it’s notorious for enabling illegal activity, including drug sales, weapons trafficking, counterfeit ID trading, hacking services, and the exchange of stolen personal data. Three people were arrested by gardai investigating the sale of illegal material on darknet markets and money laundering involving cryptocurrency. In addition to Empire Market’s more than 18,000 drug listings, another site called Nightmare Market now lists 28,000 drug products, along with the dark web’s usual assortment of stolen credit card numbers, counterfeits, and hacking tools.
A critical part of this operation was preservation of data on encrypted computers which related to the worldwide distribution of controlled drugs from this premises in Dublin 8. With the invaluable assistance of the CAB and CCIU a number of computers were safely retrieved with accessible information immediately at the time of entry on this search. At this time analysis is continuing with regard to storage of electro currency (Bitcoin) and CAB have already seized certain currency assets.
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As Telegram has end-to-end encryption and anonymous profiles, it makes it an ideal choice for threat actors and hackers to take advantage of. It became the blueprint for other dark web marketplaces that tried to take its place. While this may all sound sophisticated, it is a financial crime and very risky. Those who use these services can still be traced and prosecuted if caught, especially as law enforcement continues to sharpen its tracking tools. Unfortunately, the dark web hosts not only explicit but also deeply illegal and disturbing content. The markets often share materials related to child exploitation, pornography, and non-consensual recordings, all of which are serious crimes that inflict lasting harm on real-life victims.
Or that the most popular market, called Dream, had taken itself offline at the end of last month, perhaps sensing law enforcement closing in. Or that a multiagency US law enforcement task force devoted to stemming opioid sales on the dark web arrested more than 60 people in a major operation the month before. In Grand Theft Auto Online, players who purchase warehouses and garages for illicit cargo and stolen cars can buy/steal and sell them through trade on the “SecuroServ” syndicate website. After the Biker DLC, players can now purchase buildings for illegal drugs and counterfeit products manufacture, and distribute them through a darknet website called “The Open Road” where law enforcement cannot be notified of the player’s trade.
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From there, these products are then passed on to distributors, which are the dark web marketplaces in this context. On these marketplaces, they’re listed, sold, and promoted just like items on any e-commerce site. If you think the Dark web marketplaces are just online shops, you’re wrong — these sites are the actual weapon stores for criminals. They provide criminals with access to everything they need, from launching attacks to stealing data, etc.
Reporting Countries
The approach to the customer is similar to that of conventional retailers. The site not only allows tracking of orders and customer reviews but also rates vendors on the basis of how much product they have sold and how trustworthy their reviewers say they are. The busiest section, Cannabis & Hashish, contains more than 55,000 items or lots for sale. Also included are sections for benzodiazepines, dissociatives, ecstasy, opioids, prescription drugs, steroids, stimulants, tobacco, weight loss, paraphernalia and psychedelics. In this online store some of humanity’s most awful products are traded. It is also where many photographs and videos of child sex abuse are found.
The financial investigation in relation to this investigation is continuing with new information still coming to light at this time. Gardai said an international day of action to disrupt global activity on the Darknet and remove certain websites and forums is to conclude within the next 24 hours under the FBI/Europol operation codenamed Onymous. The other emerging issue is that current policing efforts treat dark web markets as the core threat, which might miss the wider landscape of digital harms. Illicit drug sales, for example, are promoted on social media, where platform features such as recommendation systems are affording new means of illicit drug supply. Gardaí described the bust as a “significant vendor” and said the arrests will be “of significant interest to many global law enforcement agencies who specialise in dark net investigations”. Gardaí said a follow up search in Harold’s Cross in Dublin 6 resulted in the seizure of documentation about off-shore bank accounts in Switzerland, Belize, Poland, and a number of other countries.
