Europol (the European Union Law Enforcement Agency) arrested about 288 people allegedly involved in buying and selling drugs. The suspects are believed to have bought or sold drugs on the dark web through Monopoly Market.
The operation was codenamed SpecTor and involved nine countries: the United States, Germany, France, Switzerland, the UK, Austria, Brazil, Poland, and the Netherlands. Out of the 288 arrests, 155 occurred in the United States, 55 in the United Kingdom, 52 in Germany, and 10 in the Netherlands. The authorities seized approximately $53.4 million in cash and digital currency, 117 firearms, and 850 kg of drugs globally. The seized drugs include 95 pounds of cocaine, 569 pounds of amphetamine, 95 pounds of MDMA, and over 22 pounds of ecstasy pills and LSD.
Per CyberScoop, Monopoly Market has been operational on the dark web since 2019, facilitating the buying and selling of drugs. The operation was well coordinated on three continents to help curb drug trafficking on the dark web. It was a great success, and law enforcement agencies worldwide vowed to continue with such operations in the future.