Security News > 2020 > September > Global Police Sting Nets 179 Dark Web Sellers
A global police sting has netted 179 vendors selling illegal goods online and seized millions in currency, drugs and guns, heralding an end to the "Golden age" of dark web markets, Europol said Tuesday.
Led by the German federal criminal police "This takedown provided investigators with... data and materials to identify suspects behind dark web accounts used for illegal activity", Europol said.
Operation DisrupTor followed a law agency shutdown of the Wall Street Market, the second largest illegal online market on the dark web in May last year which had more than 1.1 million users and 5,400 vendors, Europol said.
"Today's announcement sends a strong message to criminals buying and selling illicit goods on the dark web," added Edvardas Sileris, who heads Europol's EC3 cybercrime centre.
"The hidden internet is no longer hidden and your anonymous activity is not anonymous," Sileris said, with Europol adding "The golden age of the dark web marketplace is over."
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