According to Europol, many of those arrested had conducted thousands of transactions on dark web platforms. They used encryption tools and cryptocurrency to obscure their identities and operations, but investigators were able to trace them using data from the dismantled marketplaces. Four suspects in the Netherlands are among 270 individuals arrested worldwide in a sweeping international crackdown on dark web drug and arms trafficking, Europol announced Thursday. Dubbed Operation RapTor, the coordinated effort spanned four continents and targeted buyers and sellers operating on shuttered illicit marketplaces, including Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Markets. Monero and Bitcoin are two of the most commonly used digital currencies on the dark web markets. However, Monero, on the other hand, is untraceable and the most trusted payment method on these markets.
- The resulting flood of Alphabay refugees became so large that the NHTCU shut down new registrations for ten days.
- This effort was led by Europol as part of Operation RapTor and involved government agencies from ten countries (Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US).
- Genesis Market and BidenCash, two top dark web marketplaces, were also shut down in 2023 and 2025, respectively.
- The dark web is a hidden section of the internet that you cannot reach with common search engines like Bing or Google.
- Below, I’m breaking down each market with everything I’ve picked up—listings, quirks, the works.
- It helps us stay more vigilant, better protect ourselves, and make informed decisions online.
Archetyp Market
You can even use a secure email provider or a burner email address whenever you visit the dark web. Changing the Tor browser settings can further boost your security levels on the dark web shops. For instance, you can choose the preferred security levels for enhanced protection.
The Full List Of Trusted Darknet Markets:
For operations security he suggests avoiding storing conversation logs, varying writing styles, avoiding mobile phone-based tracking and leaking false personal details to further obfuscate one’s identity. Since 2020, 2easy has sold massive stealer logs with sensitive data like passwords, bank cards, and initial access credentials. It supports operations in multiple languages and operates on both clearnet and Tor. The takedown resulted in the arrest of two individuals, one in the Netherlands and the other in Ireland. In addition to the arrests, authorities seized cryptocurrency worth €8 million (approx ₹66.4 crore) and two vehicles.
Introducing New HSD Premium Partner: SecurityHive
We provide services including market sizing, trend analysis, competitive landscape evaluation, and industry-specific data, all aimed at addressing the specific requirements of our clients. Market Research Intellect is a worldwide leader in providing extensive market research reports, data analytics, and business intelligence services. Our purpose is to equip businesses with actionable insights from across various industries, assist them in making effective decisions, driving growth, and remaining competitive within a dynamic market environment. Saudi Arabia’s Dark Spirits market is undergoing a significant transformation, propelled by its Vision 2030 initiative. The country is shifting from an oil-reliant economy toward a diversified model that includes tourism, entertainment, real estate, and digital innovation. As a result, there is growing interest in market research to support strategic decision-making, foreign investment, and business development.
Cryptocurrency Transactions
- Chainanalysis, a blockchain analysis firm, conducted research that shows that the revenue decreased from $3.1 billion (2021) to $2 billion (2024).
- I remember back in 2015, a few days after my first experience with MDMA, a good friend of mine who had acquired the M told me he obtained it online.
- Exodus Marketplace started to become popular after the shutdown of Genesis Market, and it replaced it successfully.
- Founded in 2020, Cypher Market has carved out a niche on the dark web by focusing on cybercrime products.
Personal and financial data are commonly sold on dark markets, facilitating identity theft and fraudulent activities. The significance here lies in the potential damage to individuals and businesses. Companies must implement strong data security measures, employ encryption, and monitor for data breaches to protect customer and employee information. After 27 days and about 27,000 transactions, however, the NHTCU decided to hang up its ledger.
Regional Analysis
Bitcoin was initially used to process payments, offering pseudonymity rather than full anonymity. Don’t ever reveal your true identity on the dark web marketplaces because there’s a high chance of hackers and scammers misusing it. Beware of sharing your financial details on the dark web, as this can result in identity theft and your bank account amount being stolen. Cybercriminals on the dark web marketplace always look for new victims to target them with scams or infect their devices with malware, spyware, or adware.
Escrow Services
Bohemia and Cannabia is one of the more famous ones, even though it was closed down since the end of 2023. The Dutch police continue to investigate further leads and have not ruled out additional arrests related to Bohemia/Cannabia’s operations. The market’s activities were not limited to drugs; it also included counterfeit items like identification cards and banknote forgeries.
These software are also capable of launching DDoS attacks and phishing campaigns. While you could find all sorts of products on Silk Road, drug sales quickly became prevalent because of the profits it raked in. In fact, by 2013, a Guardian article revealed that about 70% of listings were drug-related. Once many users begin to rely on the site and store funds in escrow, the operators disappear, taking all the money with them and leaving their customers and clients with nothing. This expanded reach, combined with anonymity, only makes it easier for them to grow their operations without getting caught immediately. In many countries, strict laws limit who can legally buy, own, or carry firearms.
Operation RapTor was a global, coordinated effort by law enforcement in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia to disrupt fentanyl and opioid trafficking, as well as the sales of other illicit goods and services, on the darknet, or dark web. JCODE and Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) continue to compile intelligence packages to identify entities of interest. These leads allow U.S. and international law enforcement agencies to identify darknet drug vendors and buyers, resulting in a series of coordinated, but separate, law enforcement investigations, reflected in the statistics announced today.
Law enforcement regularly shuts down these markets, but new ones continuously emerge. Today (June 16, 2025), Europol announced the successful dismantling of Archetyp Market, the longest-running darknet drug marketplace, following a sweeping international operation coordinated across six countries. Approximately 300 officers were deployed to secure digital evidence, seize assets, and arrest key suspects.
That competence also made Hansa the natural destination when AlphaBay suddenly winked out of existence in early July of last year. As drug buyers became impatient, eventually more than 5,000 a day of them flocked to Hansa, eight times the normal registration rate, the NHTCU says—all of whom immediately fell under police surveillance. Hansa’s two suspected admins, the Dutch cops had discovered, were across the border in Germany—one 30-year-old man in the city of Siegen, and another 31-year-old in Cologne. Such signatures are intended to confirm that vendors still have access to their accounts and have not been arrested or compromised. While the method has its limitations, HugBunter argued that failure to provide a cryptographic signature alongside continued account activity could be telling. For a local machine configuration, he recommends a computer purchased for cash running Linux, using a local Tor transparent proxy.
On the Reddit-style dark web forum known as “Dread,” users are trying to determine which vendors were compromised by the operation, Straight Arrow News found. In the first arc of the anime series Lupin the 3rd Part V, Lupin III steals digital currency from the “Marco Polo” darknet market. Whilst a great many products are sold, drugs dominate the numbers of listings, with the drugs including cannabis, MDMA, modafinil,108109110 LSD, cocaine, and designer drugs.
The initial police investigation revealed 14,000 transactions from the Netherlands took place with a value of at least 1.7 million euros. Between 11 and 13 June, a series of coordinated actions took place across Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden, targeting the platform’s administrator, moderators, key vendors, and technical infrastructure. Around 300 officers were deployed to carry out enforcement actions and secure critical evidence. Law enforcement authorities across Europe have dismantled Archetyp Market, the most enduring dark web drug market, following a large-scale operation involving six countries, supported by Europol and Eurojust. It turns out that a few of the servers were in the Netherlands, and the Police arrested a suspect believed to be one of the admins. Dutch authorities have successfully dismantled Bohemia/Cannabis, the world’s largest and longest-running dark web marketplace.
He allegedly had a lot of data and bitcoin in his possession, but more than 8 million euros in virtual currency was seized during the arrest of the suspects. During these arrests, over €8 million in virtual currency was seized, highlighting the scale of financial transactions facilitated by the marketplace. The operation led to the seizure of over 184 million euros in cash and cryptocurrencies, more than two tonnes of narcotics including amphetamines, cocaine, ketamine, opioids, and cannabis, and over 180 firearms. Law enforcement also recovered tasers, knives, 12,500 counterfeit products, and more than four tonnes of illegal tobacco. In 2017, police with the Netherlands’ National High Tech Crimes Unit did more than shut down Hansa, once Europe’s most popular dark web market.
Overall, dark-web marketplaces in 2025 are more sophisticated, secure, and resilient than ever before, evolving rapidly in response to both technological advancements and intensified scrutiny from global law enforcement agencies. The takedown follows years of intensive investigative work to map the platform’s technical architecture and identify the individuals behind it. By tracing financial flows, analysing digital forensic evidence, and working closely with partners on the ground, authorities were able to deliver a decisive blow to one of the most prolific drug markets on the dark web.
