It is one of the biggest operations to date against the underground version of the Internet.

The European police agency Europol has announced the arrest of 150 suspects as part of a global crackdown against illegal trade on the darknet.

Several million euros in cash and bitcoins as well as drugs and weapons were seized in this operation called "DarkHunTOR" which followed the dismantling in January under the leadership of the German police force of DarkMarket, one of the main places market on the cyber black market.

A warning for criminals

Operation DarkHunTOR "consisted of a series of separate but complementary actions in Australia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States," police said. 'Europol, based in The Hague.

"The object of operations like this is to signal to criminals operating on the dark web (that) the law enforcement community has the means and international partnerships to expose them and hold them accountable for their activities. illegal, even in dark web areas, ”said deputy director of operations at Europol, Jean-Philippe Lecouffe.

26.7 million euros and 25,000 ecstasy tablets

In the United States, some 65 people were arrested in this operation which also led to, among other things, 47 arrests in Germany, 24 in the United Kingdom, four in Italy and four in the Netherlands.

Several of those arrested "were targets of importance" for Europol.

The police also seized 26.7 million euros in cash and electronic currencies as well as drugs, including 25,000 ecstasy tablets, and 45 firearms.

In Italy, the police also closed illegal marketplaces called "DeepSea" and "Berlusconi" which between them presented "more than 100,000 advertisements of illegal products", according to Europol whose operation was coordinated with Eurojust, the agency. European Union for judicial cooperation.

Books

"The bleeding": Cédric Sire causes gagging in the depths of the Dark Web

Miscellaneous

Saint-Brieuc: The Raid arrests eight suspects for drug trafficking

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