35+ Darknet Vendors Selling Illicit Goods “Busted” By US Authorities
In addition to making you anonymous, the Tor network also gives access to the world of Darknet where activities like selling of drugs, weapons, and other illegal stuff happen.
A year-long sting operation was conducted by different US agencies including the Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), ICE’s Homeland Security Investigation (HSI).
It led to the arrest of more than 35 sellers “who engaged in tens of thousands of sales of illicit goods,” wrote Department of Justice which calls it the first “nationwide undercover operation.”
The authorities were able to recover drugs, weapons (including a grenade launcher), $3.6 million in US currency and gold bars, and 2,000 Bitcoin and other crypto coins. All of it is around $23.6 million in worth.
They also seized 15 pill presses, bitcoin mining hardware, vacuum sealers, and other computer equipment.
According to the statement, HSI’s special agents posed as money launderers on darknet sites offering US currency in exchange for virtual currency.
The authorities were able to identify more than 50 darknet vendor accounts and attributed them to real individuals selling illicit good on darknet sites like Silk Road, AlphaBay, Hansa, Dream, etc.
“Criminals who think that they are safe on the Darknet are wrong. We can expose their networks, and we are determined to bring them to justice,” said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
However, due to the ever-changing nature of the darknet its hard to catch the people who step on the other side of the law.
Also Read: What Is The Difference Between Deep Web, Darknet, And Dark Web?
