• US and international law enforcement have made 288 arrests and seized over $53 million in cash and cryptocurrency as part of a major dark web crackdown.
• The operation, dubbed Operation SpecTor, was aimed at tackling fentanyl and opioid trafficking on the darknet.
• Over 150 of the arrests were made in the US, with one accused of selling $2 million worth of drugs on the dark web.
Operation SpecTor Overview
The US Justice Department has announced a major global dark web crackdown known as “Operation SpecTor” which has resulted in 288 arrests and over $53 million in cash and cryptocurrency seizures. The operation spanned across the United States, Europe, and South America and involved law enforcement from three continents. It aimed to disrupt fentanyl and opioid trafficking on the darknet.
Arrests & Seizures
Over 150 suspects were arrested in the US alone, with one from California accused of selling $2 million worth of drugs on the dark web. In addition to this, nine other countries including Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, and the UK also took part in this major operation which led to dozens of firearms being seized along with 850 kilograms of drugs. Europol also reported that they had taken down a dark-web marketplace called Monopoly Market during this effort.
Previous Operations
Attorney General Merrick Garland said that Operation SpecTor was a continuation of previous efforts to tackle drug trafficking on the darknet like Hydra (seized & shut down in April 2022) & Genesis Market (closed in 2023). This is believed to be one of the largest coordinated international actions undertaken by law enforcement against drug traffickers on the dark web to date.
International Collaboration
Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle expressed her appreciation for all those who took part in this significant international collaboration: “This operation sends a strong message to criminals on the dark web: international law enforcement has the means and ability to identify you for your illegal activities even when you are anonymous.”
Conclusion
The successful implementation of Operation SpecTor demonstrates that when countries work together they can effectively combat cybercrime operations operating out of multiple jurisdictions around world. With continued global coordination between agencies like Europol & Interpol we can hope that future operations will be just as successful at dismantling criminal networks based online or offline.