Gardai said that the investigation was part of an international operation to identify sellers of controlled drugs “on an encrypted layer of the internet known as the Darknet”. They said that an Irish vendor had been identified in recent weeks and the investigation had found where it was believed the distribution operation was based. Part of an online international drug trafficking operation carried out on the ‘Darknet’ in Dublin has been cracked by gardai after two men were arrested this afternoon. An international day of action to disrupt global activity on the Darknet and remove certain websites and forums is to conclude within the next 24 hours under the FBI/Europol operation codenamed “Onymous”. One of the central76 discussion forums was Reddit’s /r/DarkNetMarkets/,777879 which has been the subject of legal investigation, as well as the Tor-based discussion forum, The Hub.
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- Darknet or dark web marketplaces are a hidden part of the internet that surface web users can’t access; they can only be accessed with special anonymity software called Tor.
- Surveillance and enquiries carried out by the Garda National Drug Unit identified where it was believed an Irish vendor was based.
- “The financial investigation in relation to this investigation is continuing with new information still coming to light at this time,” the Garda spokesman added.
- It has a bidding feature, with new batches of stolen data being frequently added.
- Scammers on darknet markets claim to offer legit tools or services, but instead provide you with malicious software that can infect your device.
- And when it comes to paying, the site sticks to Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR) to keep transactions private.
Instead of a conventional payment card, buyers pay with Bitcoin, the virtual online currency that can also be used to buy regular goods and services, from coffees to cinema tickets. Users are invited to shop for products and services under the headings Fraud, Drugs & Chemicals, Guides & Tutorials, Counterfeit Items, Digital Products, Jewels & Gold, Weapons, Carded Items, Services, Malware & Software, and Security & Hosting. The Drugs & Chemicals button leads to a 13-option index of drug types. Bitcoins, the virtual currency, worth about US$1m, were also seized as well as €180,000 in cash, drugs, gold and silver.
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It is similar to an online store, except it’s not the type you’ll find with a quick Google search. At a follow up search in Harolds Cross, Dublin, police also made a small seizure of controlled drugs and found documentation in relation to off-shore bank accounts in Switzerland, Belize, Poland and a number of other countries. The criminals used a hidden layer of the internet known as the ‘darknet’ that enables users to transact anonymously. To further cover their tracks they transacted deals in Bitcoins, the virtual currency gaining ground globally as a means of electronic payment. Two men described by gardaí as “significant” players in the international drugs trade were arrested during a swoop on a distribution centre in Dublin, where drugs, including ecstasy and LSD, were seized.
- According to a recent trend, the dark marketplaces faced a decline in revenue.
- It supports operations in multiple languages and operates on both clearnet and Tor.
- 46 packages of vacuum-sealed cannabis herb, with an estimated street value of €460,000 was discovered and seized by Gardaí.
- Saheed Aremu passionately advocates for digital privacy and cybersecurity in the modern digital age.
The UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) maintains that almost all firearms are originally manufactured through legal means. The dark web is designed in such a manner that it hides the identities and locations of its visitors. This extra privacy makes it much harder for authorities to track down who runs these markets and where they are located. For these reasons, most of these stores naturally like the dark web due to its protection.
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Why are these markets still seen as enticing places to sell drugs, despite the risks? To find out, our recent study surveyed 13 darknet drug vendors, via online encrypted interviews. These markets host hundreds, or in some cases thousands, of people who sell drugs, commonly referred to as “vendors”. The dark web offers vital anonymity for vendors and buyers, who use cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin to process transactions.
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However, you can trace its roots to the development of technologies like the Tor network or Freenet. In March 2000, an Irish grad student named Ian Clarke created the software application, Freenet. This was the initial framework for anonymous communication and file sharing. Later in 2022, the US Naval Research Laboratory built on Freenet’s idea to create a secure and encrypted network for sensitive communications, which was later released to the public as open-source software. BidenCash was launched in 2022, and since it became a hot spot for cybercriminals to sell and buy illegal things, including stolen card information and personal data. However, in June 2025, BidenCash’s relevant domains (around 145) were seized by the US Department of Justice.
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Since its launch in May 2020, Archetyp grew into a sprawling platform facilitating massive illegal drug sales across multiple countries. This article explores the operation that brought it down, the scope of its criminal activities, and the broader implications for global law enforcement and darknet markets. The dismantling of Archetyp Market marks a significant milestone in the ongoing battle against darknet drug trafficking.
It is also used to create online marketplaces for illegal products and services. Launched after the takedown of AlphaBay in 2021, Abacus Market has rapidly risen to prominence. It features over 40,000 listings including narcotics, counterfeit items, hacking tools, and stolen data. The marketplace is well-known for its bug bounty programs and robust security mechanisms, including mandatory 2FA. To get on to Tor I first visit TorProject.org on the surface web and download the browser; it takes a couple of minutes, and it’s free and perfectly legal. Once installed, the browser sits on my desktop alongside my Internet Explorer and Firefox icons.
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“But that doesn’t seem to have dented the ecosystem in a major way.” “History has taught us that this ecosystem is very, very resilient,” Christin says. “It’s part of a cycle, and we’re in the chaotic part of the cycle. We’ll have to see how it recovers. But if I were a betting person I would put more money on it recovering than on it dramatically changing.”
Six e-scooters, seven e-bikes, a diesel scrambler and an electric Surron scrambler were among the items seized, as well as a drone, a bicycle, cannabis worth €500 and €10,000 of liquid THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. The detention of the suspects in south Dublin on Wednesday were two of only three arrests globally.
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Next up is Abacus, another newer market that has already made a massive name for itself, especially following AlphaBay’s closure. It contains 40,000+ listings for illegal products (mostly) and is worth an estimated $15 million, so it’s one of the largest markets out there. These markets are dangerous anyway and shouldn’t be accessed even if they’ve onion addresses. Now, that is not to say illegal behavior is completely beyond detection.
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As mentioned earlier, launching a cyberattack doesn’t require any hacking skills. Even people with zero technical knowledge can buy phishing kits, ransomware, or stolen logins. On the dark web, you don’t need to be a technical expert to design ransomware, and that’s dangerous. Even people with little to no knowledge can buy ready-made ransomware and launch attacks on their victims. Surprisingly, most guns on the darknet actually start as legal products.
