A global law enforcement operation involving the UK, Europol, and the US has struck a major blow to the criminal underground, with 270 arrests of dark web vendors and buyers across ten countries.
Known as Operation RapTor, this international sweep has dismantled networks trafficking in drugs, weapons, and counterfeit goods, sending a clear signal to criminals hiding behind the illusion of anonymity.
The suspects were identified through coordinated investigations based on intelligence from the takedowns of the dark web marketplaces Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Markets.
Many had conducted thousands of sales on illicit marketplaces, using encryption tools and cryptocurrencies to cover their tracks – but law enforcement closed in.
According to the Essex Police, four people in the UK were arrested and a number of weapons were seized as part of Operation Raptor as officers built their investigation against suspected county lines drug supply network running in Southend since the start of the year.
Europol supported the action by compiling and analysing intelligence packages based on data from the three seized marketplaces.
These packages were then shared with national authorities in the framework of the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce, hosted at Europol’s headquarters, to enable targeted investigations.
“Operation RapTor shows that the dark web is not beyond the reach of law enforcement,” Edvardas Šileris, head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre.
“Through close cooperation and intelligence sharing, officers across four continents identified and arrested suspects, sending a clear message to those who think they can hide in the shadows. Europol will continue working with our partners to make the internet safer for everyone.”
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Recent operations are reshaping the dark web landscape, with traditional marketplaces under increasing pressure, criminal actors are shifting to smaller, single-vendor shops – sites run by individual sellers to avoid marketplace fees and minimise exposure.
Illegal drugs remain the top commodity sold on the dark web, but 2023 also saw a surge in prescription drug trafficking and a rise in fraudulent services, including fake hitmen and bogus listings designed to scam buyers.
Authorities from the UK, Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, South Korea, Switzerland, and the US coordinate the sweep.
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