Latest news with #Jean-PhilippeLecouffe
Sunday World
4 days ago
- Sunday World
Europol shut down dark web drugs market known as ‘Archetyp'
DISMANTLED | The website sold more than €250 million worth of illicit drugs. Eurpol seized the website's domain The market was dismantled following a large-scale operation involving law enforcement from Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Romania and the United States. 300 officers targeted the platform's administrator, moderators, vendors and tech infrastructure across two days of action. The market, which operated for more than five years, had more than 600,000 users worldwide, selling more than €250 million worth of illicit drugs. Read more According to Europol, it is one of the few dark web sites that allowed the sale of fentanyl and other synthetic opioid drugs, which they say contributed to 'the growing threat posed by these substances in Europe and beyond. The administrator behind the platform, a 30-year-old German national, was arrested in Barcelona, Spain. Assets worth €7.8 million were seized from a moderator and six of the market's highest vendors. The operation, which was led by authorities in Germany '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.' In a statement, Europol added: 'The platform's endurance, scale and reputation within the criminal community place it alongside now-defunct darknet markets such as Dream Market and Silk Road, both notorious for their role in facilitating online drug trafficking.' The organisation's Deputy Executive Director of Operations Jean-Philippe Lecouffe added: '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. Eurpol seized the website's domain News in 90 Seconds - June 17 '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. 'The takedown follows years of intensive investigative work to map the platform's technical architecture and identify the individuals behind it,' he continued. 'By tracing financial flows, analysing digital forensic evidence, and working closely with partners on the ground, authorities were able to deliver a decisive blow to one of the most prolific drug markets on the dark web.'
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
$290 million in crypto, 600,000 users and more...: Police of 6 countries take down Europe longest-standing dark web drug market
Authorities from six nations have dismantled Archetyp Market , a notorious darknet drug marketplace that had been in operation since May 2020. According to Europol , the platform facilitated large-scale drug transactions, offering substances like cocaine, amphetamines, heroin, cannabis, MDMA, and synthetic opioids, including fentanyl. With over 3,200 vendors and more than 17,000 listings, it became the longest standing dark web drug market . During its five-year run, Archetyp Market attracted over 612,000 users and processed transactions totaling more than €250 million (approximately $289 million) in Monero cryptocurrency, Bleeping computer said. "Between 11 and 13 June, a series of coordinated actions took place across Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden, targeting the platform's administrator, moderators, key vendors, and technical infrastructure. Around 300 officers were deployed to carry out enforcement actions and secure critical evidence," Europol said. How the police cracked down the illegal drug marketplace by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo As part of the international enforcement effort, dubbed Operation Deep Sentinel , German police led the charge with support from Europol and Eurojust . Other countries that collaborated in the effort included Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the US. Investigators in the Netherlands dismantled the site's infrastructure, while Spanish authorities arrested a 30-year-old German national suspected of being its administrator in Barcelona, said Bleeping Computer, adding one moderator and six of the most active vendors were apprehended in Germany and Sweden. "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," said Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, Europol's deputy executive director of operations. The operation led to the seizure of 47 smartphones, 45 computers, narcotics, and assets valued at 7.8 million euros, marking a significant crackdown on dark web drug trafficking .
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Dark web drug market busted by European and U.S. authorities
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Police across Europe have dismantled a dark web drug marketplace known as 'Archetyp Market', the pan-European Europol police body said on Monday, which added that U.S. authorities had also assisted them in the operation. Europol said police operations took place last week across Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and Sweden to dismantle the dark web Archetyp Market. It added that the platform's infrastructure in the Netherlands was taken offline and that a 30-year-old German who was the administrator had been arrested in Barcelona. Europol said Archetyp had been one of the few darknet markets that allowed the sale of fentanyl and other highly potent synthetic opioids. "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," said Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, deputy executive director of operations at Europol. "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," added Lecouffe.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
Dark web drug market busted by European and U.S. authorities
FILE PHOTO: General view of the Europol building in The Hague, Netherlands December 12, 2019. REUTERS/Eva Plevier/ File Photo BRUSSELS - Police across Europe have dismantled a dark web drug marketplace known as 'Archetyp Market', the pan-European Europol police body said on Monday, which added that U.S. authorities had also assisted them in the operation. Europol said police operations took place last week across Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and Sweden to dismantle the dark web Archetyp Market. It added that the platform's infrastructure in the Netherlands was taken offline and that a 30-year-old German who was the administrator had been arrested in Barcelona. Europol said Archetyp had been one of the few darknet markets that allowed the sale of fentanyl and other highly potent synthetic opioids. "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," said Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, deputy executive director of operations at Europol. "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," added Lecouffe. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
Dark web drug market busted by European and U.S. authorities
FILE PHOTO: General view of the Europol building in The Hague, Netherlands December 12, 2019. REUTERS/Eva Plevier/ File Photo BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Police across Europe have dismantled a dark web drug marketplace known as 'Archetyp Market', the pan-European Europol police body said on Monday, which added that U.S. authorities had also assisted them in the operation. Europol said police operations took place last week across Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and Sweden to dismantle the dark web Archetyp Market. It added that the platform's infrastructure in the Netherlands was taken offline and that a 30-year-old German who was the administrator had been arrested in Barcelona. Europol said Archetyp had been one of the few darknet markets that allowed the sale of fentanyl and other highly potent synthetic opioids. "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," said Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, deputy executive director of operations at Europol. "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," added Lecouffe. (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Editing by Louise Heavens)
