Security News > 2022 > August > New dark web markets claim association with criminal cartels

Several new marketplaces have appeared on the dark web, claiming to be the dedicated online portals for notorious criminal cartels from Mexico.

The emergence of these markets was spotted by DarkOwl analysts, who identified a trend, shifting from large markets that drew law enforcement attention to smaller, less publicized sites.

The most notable examples presented in the DarkOwl report include a mix of new and older markets that became prominent due to circumstantial market conditions changes.

Ausline - A market focusing on Australian and New Zealand audiences and established by a prominent darknet vendor who allegedly has direct links to a Colombian cocaine flakes producer named the "Scorpion Cartel."

Many of these markets have been around since 2020 but have seen a sudden spike in activity lately due to the closure of large decentralized drug-focused markets where these alleged cartel site operators claimed to be successful vendors.

Regardless of the authenticity of those novel or recently-awoken cartel markets, their new status on the dark web indicates a shift in the dynamics of the space, with larger markets closing down and being replaced by smaller, niche shops.

News URL

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-dark-web-markets-claim-association-with-criminal-cartels/