In a joint operation, officials from around the world have collaborated to bring down the DNM Monopoly Market, resulting in the arrest of 288 individuals throughout the investigation. The operation, named Spector, began in December 2021 when Monopoly was captured, leading to over 100 federal investigations and prosecutions within the United States.
In January 2022, an anonymous DNM and Tor researcher known as “Dark.fail” noted that Monopoly’s servers had been seized. Europol stated that German authorities apprehended the DNM and started gathering evidence which “served as the foundation for hundreds of national investigations.” The officials also highlighted that Monopoly vendors held prominent positions on other well-known DNMs.
The suspects arrested were classified as “high-value targets.” Europol’s executive director, Catherine De Bolle, commented: “This operation sends a strong message to criminals on the dark web: international law enforcement has the means and the ability to identify and hold you accountable for your illegal activities, even on the dark web.”
Authorities emphasized that Operation Spector achieved greater success than its two predecessors, Operation Disruptor and Operation Dark Huntor. However, despite the success of all of these operations, DNMs continue to proliferate, very much like the mythical creature Hydra, with its ability to regenerate its body parts.
Currently, DNM patrons have a plethora of options to choose from, including Tor2door Market, ASAP Market, Abacus Market, Vice City Market, Archetyp Market, Bohemia Market, Incognito Market, Gammagoblin, Psycellium, Flugsvamp 4.0, Mega Darknet Market, and Cypher Market, among others.
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