© Anna Moneymaker / Staff nullBeware of darknet cybercriminals. The US Department of Justice issued a warning after 288 dark web scammers were arrested on suspicion of selling opiates on the infamous Monopoly Market drug-dealing site, which has since shut down.
The latest darknet investigation, dubbed SpecTor, targets "the largest, most nefarious, and most effective fentanyl trafficking operation in the world, the Sinaloa cartel." This is stated in a powerful speech by US Attorney General Merrick Garland, in which she directly addresses criminals trying to circumvent the law by operating on the dark web (via The Register).
Message?
"You can try to hide in the far corners of the Internet, but the Department of Justice will find you and hold you accountable for your crimes."
SpecTor's multi-continental operations are the largest of its kind, spanning eight countries outside of the US. It was not only the highest number of arrests, but also the largest US Justice Department smuggling operation to date. The bill included "117 illegal firearms, 850 kilograms of drugs, and $53.4 million in cash and cryptocurrencies," Garland said.
“Drug dealers believe that by working anonymously on the dark web, they can operate outside the law. They are wrong."
Looks like Uncle Sam has come to light the torch of justice on the dark web. It's all very dramatic, isn't it?
Everything that happens from such performances is likened to a theatrical performance. I suspect he was just feeding the rest of the Dark Webers the fentanyl whip; they laughed in their web3 digital cinemas believing they were the bosses of action movies that hadn't been filmed yet.
Garland went on to say that the Justice Department is “working on criminal cryptocurrency transactions and criminal online marketplaces that enable them.” Clearly, there is a lot of attention being paid to cryptocurrencies, but as this latest fiasco shows, crypto transactions are not as scary as you might think.