On Tuesday (May 2), an international law enforcement operation called Operation SpecTor, coordinated by Europol and involving nine countries, resulted in the arrest of 288 suspects and the seizure of $54.8 million in cash and virtual currency. The operation targeted the dark web marketplace called “Monopoly Market” and people suspected of buying or selling drugs on the dark web. Over 800 kilograms of drugs, including amphetamines, cocaine, MDMA, LSD, and ecstasy pills, were also seized.
153 suspects were arrested in the US, with the remaining arrests made in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, France, Switzerland, Poland, and Brazil. The US Justice Department stated that some of the suspects have already been convicted or are being prosecuted for darknet trafficking of fentanyl and opioids, and described the operation as the largest international operation against this type of crime.
Europol’s Executive Director, Catherine De Bolle, praised the international cooperation of law enforcement authorities across three continents, saying that the success of the operation sends a message to criminals on the dark web that they will be held accountable for their illegal activities, even on the dark web. Europol also indicated that investigations to identify additional individuals behind dark web accounts are still ongoing.
Operation SpecTor was deemed more successful than previous operations, such as “DarkHunTor” in 2021, which led to 150 arrests, and “DisrupTor” in 2020, which resulted in 179 arrests. The US had the highest number of arrests in this operation, followed by the UK.
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