Security News > 2023 > June > Man charged in US for running 'Monopoly' darknet drug market
A 33-year-old man from Serbia has been extradited from Austria to the United States to face charges of running a criminal darknet narcotics marketplace called "Monopoly Market."
According to a U.S. Department of Justice announcement, the suspect, Milomir Desnica, is charged with facilitating $18 million in illegal drug transactions through his website.
The Monopoly market was a dark web marketplace launched in 2019 to sell illegal narcotic substances, including opioids, psychedelics, stimulants, and prescription medications.
In December 2021, U.S. investigators seized Monopoly Market's hosting server with the help of cyber police forces in Germany and Finland.
"Through analysis of the seized server, law enforcement identified records of the narcotics sales facilitated by Monopoly, financial records documenting cryptocurrency payments on Monopoly, an online forum associated with Monopoly, communications from the Monopoly operator to vendors, commission payment invoices, and more." explains Department of Justice announcement.
In May 2023, an international law enforcement operation codenamed 'SpecTor' arrested 288 vendors of the Monopoly market and seized €50.8 million in cash and cryptocurrency.