In one of the biggest global dark web takedowns to date, 179 criminals were arrested across six different countries. Authorities seized 500 kilograms of drugs and $6.5 million in cash and cryptocurrency. The operation was announced this morning, however, it’s likely that the cybercrime group was operating since May 3 of 2019. On this date, German law enforcement seized Wall Street Market, which is a popular dark web marketplace whose takeover gave authorities all the information needed to upend the dark web drug trade.
Although it is unclear how big of a dent in the crime industry Operation Disruptor will make as the dark web drug market typically bounced back after high-profile collapses such as the takedown of the notorious Silk Road drug site. Even if the market manages to start up again, authorities have gotten more prolific at taking down the criminals involved. Operation Disruptor in the US spans dozens of court documents and roughly 120 arrests. Members of a group involved in the operation known as PillCosby were charged with mailing out a million pulls laced with fentanyl, while others are accused of hiding Xanax, OxyContin, and morphine pills inside souvenir maracas.
