A joint investigation by international authorities has confirmed that there was suspicion of criminal commercial operations, including narcotic trade and money laundering. The investigation, which has been ongoing since August 2021, has been a cooperative effort by the Frankfurt am Main Public Prosecutor’s Office – Central Office for Combating Cybercrime (ZIT), the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) as well as several U.S. authorities.
Platform Was Active Since at Least 2015
The action conducted today against “Hydra Market” is directed against previously unknown operators and administrators of the platform. The dark web marketplace itself was active since at least 2015, and accessible via the anonymous Tor browser, German authorities stated. The focus of the platform included several forms of illegal trade and illicit material. This included the trade of several illegal narcotics, the sale of stolen data, fake documents, and digital services worldwide. The marketplace catered to approximately 17 million customers and harbored over 19,000 registered seller accounts, authorities said.
Most Active Illegal Marketplace in the World
“Hydra Market” was likely the most active and longest-running illegal dark web marketplace in the world. Sales amounted to at least 1.23 billion Euros in 2020 alone, authorities stated. The marketplace, that provided a “Bitcoin Bank Mixer,” made investigations into crypto-crime extremely difficult for law enforcement agencies, said the report. “Hydra Market” specialized in global cryptocurrency laundering and illegal opioid trafficking, Deputy Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice Jeffrey Rosen said today in a press conference. Operation DisrupTor is the United States government’s largest operation to date targeting criminal activity on the darknet, particularly opioid and Fentanyl trafficking, the latter being one of the deadliest narcotics to hit the streets. Illegal operations like “Hydra Market” have been kept running thanks to cybercriminals hiding behind anonymizing software such as Tor, added Rosen. “The Darknet invites criminals into our homes and invites unlimited access to illegal commerce,” said Rosen. In 2021, authorities had shut down a similar portal known as “DarkMarket” that focused on the anonymous sale of weapons, among other things.
543 BTC Seized by Authorities
A total of 543 BTC, which translates into about $25 million, was confiscated by authorities Tuesday. “When profits from illicit sales leave Hydra seller accounts, the money trails go dark. Sellers use veiled, in-region financial operators to convert their withdrawals into Russian fiat currencies and obfuscate further steps in the financial chain,” added Flashpoint intelligence today. More details about the ongoing action surrounding “Hydra Market” will be revealed later in the day, according to the U.S. DoJ. Everything you need to know about the dark web and how to access it safely can be found in our full guide to the dark web.
