In a massive crackdown on the Darknet, 288 sellers and customers were arrested worldwide under the code name “Spector” by international law enforcement agencies. This resulted in the seizure of €50.8 million in cryptocurrency and cash.
The arrested sellers worked for Monopoly Market, a Darknet marketplace that sold drugs and firearms. Although launched in 2019, Monopoly Market was captured by German authorities in 2021, and has since been used to gather evidence of illegal activities by sellers and buyers.
Europol reports that sellers of Monopoly Market were also involved in other Darknet markets, specifically in drug trafficking and illegal goods. In addition to the arrests, the Spector operation resulted in the seizure of 850kg of drugs and 117 units of firearms.
The majority of the arrests involved people residing in the United States (153), Great Britain (55), and Germany (52). Others were arrested in the Netherlands (10) and Austria (9). Participating law enforcement agencies included Europol, the FBI, and police from Great Britain, France, Poland, Germany, Austria, Brazil, Switzerland, and Great Britain.