How Many Police Agencies are Going After Darknet Markets?

Figure 7 points out that the article of James Martin in 2014 is the leading author with 42 times re-cited in the top authors’ references. All the analyses indicated in the following were carried out with the open-source R package bibliometrics via the Biblioshiny software. Table 1 shows the timeline, sources, annual scientific production, average citations per year, and references. It reflects the main information about data, including (1) document types, (2) document context, and (3) authors’ collaborations. When dark net markets are shut, their users typically move quickly to new markets.

The Emergence Of Marketplaces On The Darknet

“Database and keyword-based search” and “Inclusion and exclusion criteria” Sections describe the selected quantitative methods and the research tools in “Bibliometric research tools” section. Some bibliometric methods include a citation, co-citation (Small 1973), co-authorship and network analyses (Peters and van Raan 1991). From the obtained data, prominent research themes have been identified and described (Gupta et al. 2021; Nazah et al. 2020).

Darknet markets, also known as “cryptomarkets,” are online marketplaces that operate on the dark web, a part of the internet that is not indexed by search engines and requires special software to access. These markets are often used for the sale of illegal goods and services, including drugs, weapons, and stolen data. As a result, law enforcement agencies around the world are increasingly focused on shutting down these markets and bringing the individuals who run them to justice.

Is The Dark Web Illegal?

It’s in this underground landscape of shady buyers and sellers where dark web threats often lurk undetected until it’s too late and you suffer a breach. Luckily, the cybersecurity and international threats posed by the anonymity of the dark web are continuously being thwarted by government bodies, law enforcement agencies, and thousands of information technology professionals. If you’re interested in being at the forefront of defense against cyber attacks and online threats to national security, consider the many career pathways in IT and cybersecurity offered by the Tulane School of Professional Advancement.

International Coordination

Law Enforcements Efforts To Takedown Darknet Markets[Original Blog]

One of the biggest challenges in shutting down darknet markets is the international nature of these operations. Darknet markets are often run by organized crime groups that operate across national borders, making it difficult for any single law enforcement agency to take them down. To address this challenge, law enforcement agencies from different countries have formed partnerships and task forces to coordinate their efforts and share intelligence. For example, the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) team, which is made up of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in the United States, works closely with international partners to target darknet markets and the criminals who run them.

The ever-changing nature of dark web marketplaces makes it vital to stay on top of the main sites worth monitoring. High-profile markets sometimes close overnight, and new markets surge to enormous levels of popularity in no time. This article takes you through the top five dark web marketplaces currently worth keeping track of for potential threats in 2023. Collaborative platforms and information sharing networks facilitate seamless communication and intelligence exchange between law enforcement agencies worldwide. The Tor browser is an essential tool for law enforcement agencies when operating within the dark web.

Europol Shuts Down Dark Web Marketplace Monopoly Market: 288 Arrested

Number of Agencies Involved

It is difficult to determine the exact number of law enforcement agencies that are actively going after darknet markets, as this number is constantly changing as new agencies join the effort and others shift their focus to other priorities. However, it is safe to say that a significant number of agencies are involved in this effort. In addition to the J-CODE team, other notable agencies that have been involved in darknet market investigations include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), and the Australian Federal Police (AFP), among many others.

• Garantex is a large cryptocurrency exchange based in Russia that we’ve discussed previously in our research due to its role in money laundering.
• Critically, the drug bust involved tracking down criminals who operated almost entirely online.
• Even before Covid-19, though, the accessibility of drugs had begun widening, with dealers turning to social media and even popular e-commerce platforms to peddle their wares.
• Nightmare market was a short-lived, moderately popular market that closed down in July 2019.

Successes in Shutting Down Darknet Markets

Given recent concerns over sanctions evasion using cryptocurrency, the shutdown and sanctioning of Hydra couldn’t have come at a better time, as the platform’s money laundering services could’ve potentially proven useful for sanctioned entities and individuals in Russia. In addition to those actions, the Justice Department also indicted a Russian national named Dmitry Olegovich Pavlov, charging him with conspiracy to distribute narcotics and conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in administering Hydra. Since 2015, Pavlov provided web hosting services to Hydra through his company Promservices Ltd., making him key to the market’s ability to operate. In July of 2017, a global law enforcement sting known as Operation Bayonet took down AlphaBay’s sprawling narcotics-and-cybercrime bazaar, seizing the site’s central server in Lithuania and arresting its creator, Alexandre Cazes, outside his home in Bangkok. Yet in August of last year, AlphaBay’s number-two administrator and security specialist, publicly known only as DeSnake, suddenly reappeared, announcing AlphaBay’s resurrection in a new and improved form.

Despite the challenges posed by the international nature of darknet markets, law enforcement agencies have had some success in shutting them down. For example, in 2017, the FBI, in coordination with Europol and other international partners, took down the AlphaBay and Hansa darknet markets, which at the time were two of the largest darknet markets in operation. These takedowns resulted in the arrest of dozens of individuals and the seizure of millions of dollars worth of illegal goods and assets. More recently, in 2020, the German Federal Criminal Police (BKA) took down the Wall Street Market, which was at the time the second-largest darknet market in the world, resulting in the arrest of the market’s three administrators and the seizure of over $600,000 in Bitcoin.

Conclusion

Source code and operational information about the Iranian-linked APT group OilRig (also known as APT34 and Helix Kitten) was leaked via Telegram. “Once you become a user, it’s really easy to then … perpetrate criminal activity.” The NCA said Genesis had operated by selling credentials from as little as $0.7 to hundreds of dollars depending on the stolen data available. Dr McGuire said his team discovered a shift towards an ‘invisible net’ – invitation-only forums, private messaging, and encrypted apps like Telegram, WhatsApp, and Wickr, where interactions between members are thought to be better shielded from law enforcement.

Darknet markets pose a significant challenge to law enforcement agencies around the world, but these agencies are increasingly coordinating their efforts and sharing intelligence to take down these illegal marketplaces and bring the criminals who run them to justice. While the exact number of agencies involved in this effort is difficult to determine, it is clear that a significant number of agencies are dedicated to this mission. The successes of recent takedowns demonstrate that law enforcement agencies are making progress in this fight, but there is still much work to be done to fully eliminate the threat posed by darknet markets.