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Published: 05:08 EDT, 20 June 2025 | Updated: 08:14 EDT, 20 June 2025
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A major dark web drug market, operational for years and valued at £200 million, has been shut down following a lengthy inquiry. The alleged ringleader was apprehended in Barcelona. This successful operation highlights the ongoing efforts to combat cybercrime and online drug trafficking.
The illicit site, identified as Archetyp Market, was dismantled last week by European authorities collaborating with the United States in an initiative called ‘Operation Deep Sentinel.’
Europol announced in a statement Monday that between June 11 and 13, 300 officers were mobilized to execute a ‘series of coordinated actions’ across Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, and Sweden, targeting the platform’s management, vendors, and technical framework.
They added that the platform’s infrastructure in the Netherlands was taken offline and a 30-year-old German national, known as ‘Big Boss’ and believed to be the operation’s mastermind, was taken into custody in Barcelona.
Website users are now greeted with a notification informing them that the site has been seized.
‘This operation, spearheaded by German authorities, signifies the termination of a criminal enterprise that facilitated the anonymous exchange of substantial quantities of illegal narcotics, including cocaine, MDMA, amphetamines, and synthetic opioids,’ the statement conveyed.
Europol stated that the shutdown is the result of a years-long investigation into the platform’s ‘technical design’ and the individuals operating it, with findings obtained by analyzing digital forensic evidence.
Europol’s Deputy Executive Director of Operations, Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, remarked, ‘This takedown eliminates one of the dark web’s longest-running drug markets, severing a crucial supply route for some of the world’s most hazardous substances.
The longest-standing dark web drug market worth £200million has been dismantle and the mastermind behind it has been arrested in Barcelona. Picture shows cyber-drug dealer, said to be a German national, being dragged away by Spanish police
The site, known as Archetyp Market, was busted last week by European authorities with the help of the US in an effort dubbed ‘Operation Deep Sentinel’
Users of the Archetyp Market website are now met with a banner informing them the site has been taken down
‘By dismantling its infrastructure and apprehending its key operators, we are delivering a clear message: there is no refuge for those who capitalize on harm.’
This action follows a previous international law enforcement initiative, led by the FBI in 2023, that dismantled a widespread dark web marketplace favored by cybercriminals.
Operation Cookie Monster: Dismantling Genesis Market
The illicit hacker cyber-bazaar, known as Genesis Market, was seized in a multinational crackdown dubbed ‘Operation Cookie Monster’ after the site’s specialization in stolen digital fingerprints, known as cookies.
According to the FBI, Genesis Market provided access to data pilfered from over 1.5 million compromised computers worldwide, encompassing more than 80 million account access credentials.
Data Theft on a Massive Scale
The stolen data encompassed passwords for platforms like online banking, Facebook, Amazon, PayPal, and Netflix, in addition to digital fingerprints that could be exploited by criminals to circumvent online security protocols by imitating the victim’s device.
Global Arrests and Raids
During coordinated raids across the globe, over 200 searches were conducted, leading to approximately 120 arrests. This included 24 arrests in and around Grimsby, UK, as confirmed by law enforcement officials.
The raid on Genesis Market mirrored earlier 2023 US-led enforcement actions targeting other darknet hacker marketplaces, such as Hydra Market and Breach Forums.
The Re-Emergence of Cybercrime
However, experts caution that hacker groups are often elusive, and similar markets frequently resurface in short order. Maintaining vigilance and continuous improvement of cybersecurity measures are crucial.
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Dark web’s longest-standing drug market worth £200million is busted with 30-year-old German ‘Big Boss’ mastermind arrested in Barcelona after global police operation