More than 150 arrested in global crackdown on Darknet traders: Dutch media

At least 150 people have been arrested by European and U.S. authorities after a joint crackdown on traders of drugs, weapons and other illicit goods on darknet e-commerce sites, Dutch media reported Tuesday citing police agency Europol.

Cash and cryptocurrency worth 26.7 million euros ($31 million) and 234 kilograms of drugs were also seized, according to Dutch broadcaster KRO-NRCV.

“This operation proves that we can reach (criminals on the dark web) even if they think they are hiding somewhere, they cannot be sure we won’t be there at one moment to knock on their door”, Europol’s deputy executive director of operations, Jean-Philippe Lecouffe told the broadcaster.

According to the Dutch media 65 U.S. nationals were arrested, along with 47 Germans, 24 Brits and a handful of Dutch, French, Swiss and Bulgarian nationals.

The operation focused on sellers and buyers on the darknet rather than the people running the sites as in earlier crackdowns.

Darknet markets are e-commerce sites designed to lie beyond the reach of regular search engines.

via Reuters