Yesterday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) collaborated with the Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) to arrest 35 criminals for trading cryptocurrencies on the dark web. The agents also seized a large number of illegal drugs, weapons, Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies of a total value of $23.6 million.
The total number of seized items includes:
More than 24 kilograms of Xanax and additional seizures of Oxycodone, MDMA, cocaine, LSD, marijuana and other kinds of drugs.
- More than 100 firearms such as handguns, rifles and grenades.
- 5 vehicles used for the transport of prohibited goods or for other illegal purposes.
- $20 million worth of Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies.
- Bitcoin mining devices, computer equipment and vacuum sealers.
Government agencies worked together to investigate more than 90 active cases and the HSI Acting Executive Associate Director Derek Benner said that the dark web is constantly changing and becoming more complicated, which creates the potential black markets for sellers of illegal products . He also added:
“The veil has been lifted. HSI has infiltrated the darknet, and together with its law enforcement partners nationwide, it has proven, once again, that every criminal is within arm’s reach of the law.”
A defendant named Nicholas J. Powell said he had cooperated with the officials by providing his darknet account to find drug dealers that could trace the identity of other illegal drug suppliers.
On June 26th, the DOJ also arrested two men and seized $17 million worth of Bitcoins and cryptocurrencies used to trade drugs on the darknet.
The U.S. Deputy Attorney General, Rod Rosenstein, stated that it took more than a month to arrest 35 criminals. The investigation has ended but newer and newer dirty little secrets keep coming out to light from the depths of the Internet. Bitcoin, Monero, and Zcash are the cryptocurrencies preferred by the merchants in the darknet because of their anonymity and the untraceable nature.
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