In the end, he was sentenced to life in prison for running one of the largest and most scandalous dark web cases in history. The site allows users to find and buy a vast variety of products and services. It’s known for its strong security features (like a trusted escrow system, PGP two-factor authentication) and anonymity. In fact, everything is in English, and the site picks up users everywhere in the world.
A follow-up search of a second premises in the area resulted in the arrest of a second man and the seizure of €5,000 cannabis herb and a single round of ammunition. A man, aged in his 50s, was arrested at the scene and is currently being questioned at a garda station under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996. Two men have been arrested as part of the operation which took place in north Dublin earlier today. Additionally, a woman, 32, was also arrested on suspicion of alleged offences contrary to the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 and detained. The 49-year-old man and 32-year-old woman have since been released from custody pending the submission of a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Why Are Darknet Markets Found On The Dark Web?

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. Still, the disruption of Hydra dealt a “huge blow“ to the ecosystem, according to multiple sources on the Dark Web. O’Connor – along with Neil Mannion – was selling drugs on an encrypted part of the internet that is difficult to access and allows users remain anonymous.
Is It Illegal To Access The Dark Web?
By supplying stolen data, these dark web links fuel many online scams and identity theft operations, playing a critical role in the darker aspects of the internet. Regarding profits, darknet vendors do not have to limit their trading to face-to-face interactions, and can instead sell drugs to a potentially worldwide customer base. However, the void left by Archetyp’s takedown may soon be filled by new or existing marketplaces. The darknet ecosystem is highly dynamic, with vendors and buyers quickly migrating to other platforms.
INVESTIGATION Gardai On The Hunt For Brazen Thieves Behind Broad Daylight House Raid
Defence solicitor Kate McGhee successfully applied for legal aid to include junior and senior counsel representation. It said all these developments provide “serious challenges” for investigators. However, use of the drug declined during the Covid-19 pandemic when nightlife shut down and had a “significant impact” on the market. While MDMA declined from peak levels in the early to mid-2000s, data shows it is on the rise again suggesting it is no longer a niche party drug. The drugs have been submitted to the Forensic Science Ireland for examination. A 34-year-old Spanish man and a 44-year-old man from the UK were arrested and are being questioned at a garda station in north Dublin.
Cocaine bought online was 70 per cent pure, compared with the average 38 per cent purity of street-purchased cocaine in the UK in 2013. Seizures of other illegal drugs in the postal service, especially psychoactive substances once available in headshops but now banned, also suggest a buoyant and increasing online trade. The Garda has described the suspected online drugs trader in Dublin as “a significant vendor” with address lists for customers all over the world. Irish police have arrested two men after smashing a suspected global drug-dealing operation using a hidden corner of the internet known as the darknet. Gardai said the seizure was made as part of an operation targeting an organised crime group involved in the sale and supply of drugs.
Exodus Marketplace
“The financial investigation in relation to this investigation is continuing with new information still coming to light at this time,” the Garda spokesman added. After weeks of surveillance, as part of a global effort involving Europol and the FBI, officers moved in on the site yesterday afternoon. Cannabis worth over €775,000 was also recovered during searches in north Co Dublin yesterday. A man, aged in his 30s, was also arrested and is being questioned at a garda station in the capital..

STYX Market
Just as there are new entrants, the dark web has its veteran markets too, and Brian’s Club is one such market. It has been in operation for more than a decade since its debut in 2014. Brian’s Club is one of the best place to buy stolen credit card info, including CVVs, dumps, and even full account packages without revealing your identity. Although these marketplaces are continuously shut down by law enforcement agencies, they still work today. Interestingly, new sites get more hype, and it even becomes difficult to shut them down, as they have better security than the older ones.
Stocks Add A Bit To Their Records On Wall Street
THE HAGUE — Authorities in the U.S. and Europe arrested nearly 300 people, confiscated more than $53 million and seized a dark-web marketplace as part of an international crackdown on drug trafficking that officials say was the largest operation of its kind. Monero and Bitcoin are two of the most commonly used digital currencies on the dark web markets. Due to being the most popular and the oldest coin, Bitcoin is traceable. However, Monero, on the other hand, is untraceable and the most trusted payment method on these markets. Therefore, most cybersecurity experts recommend using Monero while shopping on darknet markets. Even after Silk Road went down, dark web marketplaces haven’t slowed down.
Due In Court Man (40s) Charged After €165k Cocaine And Cannabis Seizure In Galway And Westmeath
As a result of an international drug trafficking investigation into the sale and supply of controlled drugs on an encrypted layer of the internet known as the Darknet an Irish vendor was identified in recent weeks. Surveillance and enquiries carried out by the Garda National Drug Unit identified a secure premises on South Circular Road, Dublin 8 where it was believed this drug distribution operation was based. According to court documents and statements made in court, Srinivasan and Ta used the “redlightlabs” darknet account to advertise and sell counterfeit M30 oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and other illicit drugs.
Two “military style” assault rifles and over €770,000 worth of drugs have been seized by gardai as part of a major crackdown on a Dublin crime gang. Operation Meacán focuses on electric motorbikes, e-scooters and e-bikes which are being used for criminal activity including drug distribution, money laundering, transporting firearms and drug related intimidation. There was a follow up search at a location in Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6. This recovered a smaller amount of drugs, as well as documentation relating to off shore bank accounts in Switzerland, Belize, Poland and a number of other countries.
Also included are sections for benzodiazepines, dissociatives, ecstasy, opioids, prescription drugs, steroids, stimulants, tobacco, weight loss, paraphernalia and psychedelics. In this online store some of humanity’s most awful products are traded. It is also where many photographs and videos of child sex abuse are found. News Group Newspapers Limited does not permit the access, collection, text or data mining of any content from our Service by any automated means whether directly or through an intermediary service. “This is a major success for the DCRT and for public safety in Dublin. The sight of such assault rifles may cause concern but I want to reassure the public that this is not a routine occurrence and thanks to the vigilance of our Gardaí, these firearms were recovered from organised criminals.
- Torzon offers a premium account option for additional benefits and is valued at approximately $15 million, accepting payments in Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR).
- Silk Road, AlphaBay, WallStreet and Monopoly Market are all familiar names in the digital graveyard of the dark web.
- Furthermore, the operation highlights the evolving tactics law enforcement employs to infiltrate and dismantle these encrypted networks.
- The diversity of drugs offered on Archetyp—ranging from recreational substances like cannabis and MDMA to lethal synthetic opioids—illustrates the broad spectrum of public health risks fueled by darknet markets.
- But developments in recent months culminated in the breakthrough on Thursday.
Darknet Crime Probe Success Unprecedented

One thing that distinguishes BidenCash on the dark web, however, is how it markets itself. Police in the Republic of Ireland have seized almost 2m euros (£1.5m) of digital currency and drugs in an operation targeting international drug selling over the darknet. The raid came about as a result of an international drug trafficking investigation into the sale and supply of controlled drugs on an encrypted layer of the internet known as “the Darknet”.
Furthermore, the operation highlights the evolving tactics law enforcement employs to infiltrate and dismantle these encrypted networks. Deploying 300 officers across multiple countries simultaneously is a logistical feat, reflecting a high level of international cooperation. This cooperative model could serve as a blueprint for future operations targeting other illicit darknet platforms. Authorities from six nations—Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the US—joined forces under Operation Deep Sentinel to dismantle Archetyp Market.
These are just two of 57 online reviews posted on the profile of an ecstasy dealer selling drugs not on a street corner or in a nightclub but on the darknet. Other smaller similar sites where drugs are offered for sale and orders can be placed and paid for in bitcoin have also been disabled as part of the international Operation Onymous. Silk Road 2 was effectively disabled and seized yesterday in a major operation involving law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, the US Department of Homeland Security and Europol. Gardai have made a significant drug seizure as a result of an investigation into the sale and supply of controlled substances on the ‘dark net’, an encrypted layer of the internet.