In December 2021, Europol coordinated an operation involving nine countries, known by the code name ‘SpecTor’, which resulted in the confiscation of the illicit “Monopoly Market” dark web marketplace and the arrest of 288 individuals who were buying or selling drugs on the dark web. Additionally, more than EUR 50.8 million (USD 53.4 million) in cash and virtual currencies, 850 kg of drugs, and 117 firearms were seized, including over 258 kg of amphetamines, 43 kg of cocaine, 43 kg of MDMA and over 10 kg of LSD and ecstasy pills. The sellers traded drugs for Bitcoin and Monero cryptocurrencies on the “Monopoly Market,” where they sold drugs to clients worldwide. Furthermore, the operation also yielded 1,875 pounds of potentially lethal tablets. Europol compiled intelligence packages based on evidence provided by German authorities, which served as the basis for hundreds of national investigations. The vendors arrested due to the police action against Monopoly Market were also active on other illicit marketplaces, further impeding the trade of drugs and illicit goods on the dark web.
Recent reports have revealed the specifics of Operation ‘SpecTor’, which targeted high-volume darknet market sellers and purchasers who exchanged cryptocurrencies to sell drugs and firearms to other users. According to Europol, tens of thousands of dealers and customers were detained, with the majority residing in the United States (153), the United Kingdom (55), and Germany (52), with 10 and 9 arrests each in the Netherlands and Austria. It was made clear through Operation SpecTor that the darknet, a section of the internet that can only be accessed using an encrypted browser, only offers a thin layer of anonymity. Among the seized drugs was 152 pounds of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid so dangerous that two milligrams—the equivalent of a few grains of salt—is a potentially lethal dose. FBI Director Christopher Wray stated in a statement, “The availability of dangerous substances like fentanyl on darknet marketplaces is helping to fuel the crisis that has claimed far too many American lives. That’s why we will continue to join forces with our law enforcement partners around the globe to attack this problem together.”
