Latest news with #Europol
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Daily Mail
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
The longest-standing dark web drug market worth £200million has been dismantled following a years-long investigation, as its mastermind is arrested in Barcelona. 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'. Europol said in a statement on Monday that between June 11 and 13, 300 officers were deployed to carry out a 'series of coordinated actions' across Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and Sweden targeting the platform's administrators, vendors and technical infrastructure. It added that the platform's infrastructure in the Netherlands was taken offline and that the mastermind behind the operation - a 30-year-old German known as 'Big Boss' - had been arrested in Barcelona. Users of the Archetyp Market website are now met with a banner informing them the site has been taken down. 'This operation led by the German authorities marks the end of a criminal service that enabled the anonymous trade in high volumes of illicit drugs, including cocaine, MDMA, amphetamines, and synthetic opioids', the statement said. Europol said the takedown comes after years of investigation into the platform's 'technical architecture' and the individuals behind it, adding that its findings were achieved by analysing digital forensic evidence. Europol's Deputy Executive Director of Operations Jean-Philippe Lecouffe said: 'With this takedown, law enforcement has taken out one of the dark web's longest-running drug markets, cutting off a major supply line for some of the world's most dangerous substances. 'By dismantling its infrastructure and arresting its key players, we are sending a clear message: there is no safe haven for those who profit from harm.' It comes after international law enforcement agencies led by the FBI seized a sprawling dark web marketplace popular with cybercriminals back in 2023. The 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 offered access to data stolen from more than 1.5 million compromised computers around the world, containing over 80 million account access credentials. The stolen data included passwords for services such as online banking, Facebook, Amazon, PayPal and Netflix, as well as digital fingerprints that can be exploited by criminals to bypass online security checks by spoofing the victim's device. In coordinated raids around the world, more than 200 searches were carried out and about 120 people were arrested, including 24 arrests in and around the British town of Grimsby, UK law enforcement officials said. The raid on Genesis followed a similar US-led enforcement actions in 2023 against other darknet hacker market places, including Hydra Market and Breach Forums. But experts warned that hacker gangs are often slippery, and similar markets often soon re-emerge.
Sunday World
a day ago
- Sunday World
Criminals in Denmark recruiting teenagers to carry out contract killings
Two men (18) were arrested for actively recruiting young people to carry out targeted murders Criminals in Denmark are suspected of recruiting teenagers to carry out contract killings. It comes after several suspects were arrested and accused of using encrypted platforms to solicit murder, the most recent of which happened in the Danish city of Kokkedal last month. Seven people aged between 14 and 26 have been arrested in Sweden and Morocco and surrendered to police in Denmark. Among those arrested were two 18-year-olds suspected of actively recruiting young people to carry out targeted hits in Denmark and Sweden. Several other suspects are believed to have facilitated the attacks by providing weapons, ammunition and safe houses for the killers. Europol say the cases are 'part of a growing trend observed across Europe, where youngsters are recruited online to carry out violent crimes, often across borders.' 'The criminal networks exploit social media to post contract offers for shootings, a modus operandi known as 'violence-as-a-service', that increasingly puts minors at the heart of cross-border organised crime.' Chief Police Inspector of the Danish National Special Crime Unit, Torben Svarrer, said they are stepping up their cooperation across Nordic countries. 'We know what these criminal networks are doing, and we are determined to prevent these attacks. 'Let this serve as a warning to young people approached on social media with promises of easy money: our investigations show the reality is far less lucrative than promised, and the consequences can be severe.' The arrests were part of OTF-GRIMM, a task force launched in April to tackle the growing use of encrypted services to organise contract killings across Europe. Theodor Smedius, Superintendent at the Swedish Police's National Operations Department added: 'Through international police cooperation, we will continue the hunt for those fuelling violence from behind the veil of anonymity on digital platforms – wherever in the world they may be. 'At the same time, we must again stress the urgent need for platform owners to step up their self-monitoring and remove violent content. They have the technology to do this. 'When it comes to the safety of our children, both public authorities and private companies – including tech firms – must play on the same team.' Andy Kraag, Head of Europol's European Serious Organised Crime Centre said the calculated outsourcing of murder to teenagers is 'what organised crime looks like in 2025.' Stock Image (Getty) News in 90 Seconds - June 19th 'Teenagers being paid to pull the trigger — this is what organised crime looks like in 2025. 'We are not dealing with petty street crime. This is calculated outsourcing of murder by criminal networks that treat human lives as disposable assets. 'Through Europol's OTF GRIMM, law enforcement is tracking down the masterminds and dismantling the infrastructure they hide behind. There is no safe haven — online or offline — for those who trade in violence.'
Morocco World
a day ago
- Morocco World
Spanish Police Bust Major Morocco-Spain Migrant and Drug Trafficking Ring
Rabat – Spanish police, in cooperation with Europol, announced the successful dismantling of a criminal network operating between Morocco and Spain. The group was involved in trafficking at least 200 Moroccan migrants as well as significant quantities of drugs, including hashish and hallucinogenic pills. According to Spanish media reports, the traffickers used fiberglass boats, frequently piloted by minors, to transport both migrants and narcotics across the Strait of Gibraltar. These operations are known as 'mixed cargo,' referring to the simultaneous smuggling of people and drugs. The criminal network was primarily based in the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Algeciras (Cádiz). Migrants were offered a comprehensive 'package' that included transportation, accommodation, and other logistical support. The fees charged for these services could reach as high as € 14,600 (MAD 160,600) per person. Authorities estimate that the human trafficking activities alone generated profits exceeding € 2.5 million (MAD 27.5 million). The police operation led to the arrest of eight suspects, including one minor. During the raids, law enforcement seized 22 kilograms of hashish and 10,800 clonazepam pills, commonly used in the manufacture of hallucinogenic substances. One of the main searches took place in Ceuta's El Príncipe neighborhood, an area known for high criminal activity. Investigations revealed that migrants were temporarily housed in the Moroccan town of Fnideq before being transported by sea to Ceuta. The journeys were carried out on poorly maintained boats or, in some cases, migrants crossed swimming while using jet skis for assistance. Until full payment was received, the migrants were kept in what were described as 'secure apartments.' The boats used in these operations were heavily overloaded and lacked any safety measures, making the trips extremely dangerous for all involved. Control of the network was centered around two main figures: one residing in Ibiza and the other in Ceuta. These leaders oversaw both the financial management and strategic planning of the trafficking operations. Both, along with a third suspect, have been placed under provisional detention pending further investigation. Tags: ceutadrug traffickingSpainSpanish police
The National
a day ago
- The National
Children forced to skipper boats smuggling migrants from Morocco to Spain
A criminal gang has been forcing children to skipper boats smuggling migrants from Morocco to Spain, police have revealed. The 'highly organised network' made about €2.8 million ($3.2 million) in profit from charging more than 200 people €14,000 each to make the journey. Spain's National Police have now arrested eight members of the criminal gang, which is made up Spanish and Moroccan citizens, after raids on properties in Algeciras and Ibiza, as well as Ceuta, an enclave of Spain in Morocco. 'The network used minors as skippers in maritime smuggling operations, often recruited and trained by the organisation itself,' said Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency. 'This fact not only highlights and amplifies the risk of accidents and fatalities, but also exposes vulnerable youngsters to exploitation and coercion. This practice illustrates the ruthless and dehumanising nature of criminal networks, which prioritise profits over human life.' Along with migrants, the gang also simultaneously trafficked large amounts of cannabis resin to Spain, using the same vessels. On the way back to Morocco, the gang smuggled the drug Clonazepam to maximise their profits. Police found 10,800 tablets of the medication that is also taken by recreational drug users for its hallucinogenic effect. Authorities also seized 22kg of cannabis, €50,000 in cash, five vehicles, two boats, weapons, electronic devices and navigation equipment. Europol say the Spanish branch of the network operated from Ceuta and Algeciras, while the head of the Moroccan branch lived in Ibiza. They used a three-tiered structure comprising of leadership and co-ordination, maritime execution, and ground-level logistics. Smuggling migrants across the Mediterranean is a lucrative business for criminals and last year Spanish police smashed a trafficking ring that took about 1,000 people from Syria and Algeria into Europe by boat. Migrants from Syria were illegally transported through Lebanon and North Africa to the coast of Algeria for about €20,000 a person, it is alleged. From Algeria, they were sent across the Mediterranean in overcrowded boats and taken to unsanitary safe houses in Spain, police said. A total of 21 people were arrested in police raids in which four hotels were searched, three vehicles impounded and thousands of euros, US dollars and Algerian dinars seized. Other criminals also opened up a new route to take migrants from Morocco and Algeria into EU in which they first flew to the UK on tourist visas and were then smuggled in lorries to France. In total, 12 members of the Algerian-led gang have now been convicted for their part in the operation, in which each migrant was charged up to £1,200 ($1,600) for the trip. Video taken by a migrant from inside a lorry shows it filled with 39 Algerian and Moroccans, including a six-year-old boy. Those inside can be heard banging on the sides of the trailer, screaming and crying for assistance, with of shouting "open the door, open the door".
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
EU overwhelmingly votes to criminalise AI-generated child sexual abuse material
The EU has overwhelmingly voted to criminalise AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) as part of "monumental" legislation that will transform protections for children and victims. It will be a criminal offence to create, possess, or distribute CSAM that has been created using artificial intelligence. It also covers offences related to livestreamed abuse, grooming, and sextortion. The European Parliament voted in favour of the directive by 599 to two with 62 abstentions. Over the last year, there has been more than a 1,000% increase in the generation of child sexual abuse content using AI. Irish MEP Maria Walsh said that policy has not kept up with technology while children have been targeted by "the most disturbing forces in society". "As a member of the committee responsible for the new law passed in the European Parliament this week, I know the real life impact it will have on vulnerable children and victims," said Ms Walsh. The legislation will introduce tougher penalties for offenders, and it will introduce a clear ban on horrific 'instruction manuals' that teach people how to abuse children. The legislation will see AI material criminalised across all 27 member states in the same fashion as real abuse because the models have to be trained using real material, said Dutch MEP Jeroen Lenaers as rapporteur. "From AI-generated child sexual abuse material, it is only a very small step to abusing children in real life and it needs to stop," said Mr Lenaers. Europol's Operation Cumberland in February saw 25 arrests in what was one of the first cases involved in AI-generated child sexual abuse material. Supported by authorities in 19 countries, the operation saw 273 suspects identified and 173 electronic devices seized. The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a US-based organisation, said it has witnessed a surge in worldwide reports of online abuse in recent years. In 2022, the number of reports reached over 32 million with 49,000 of these identified as involving a child in imminent danger. Statute of limitations The legislation passed on Tuesday will also remove the statute of limitations on child abuse crimes to ensure prosecution of all crimes and to allow victims the time to come forward. "The legislation will also remove the statute of limitation on child sexual abuse crimes in all EU countries - a crucial move given the average age of disclosure of an experience of child sexual abuse is 52 years old," said Ms Walsh. "On top of this, a third of abused children never tell anyone at all. This legislation tells survivors that the clock will never run out on their rightful search for justice." Time should not wash away accountability and there should be no safe zone for abusers that begins when the clock runs out, she said. Read More Child sexual abuse imagery being shared online by use of artificial intelligence, report finds
