The United States Department of Justice has announced that more than 150 individuals have been arrested as part of an international law enforcement operation intended to disrupt the global trade of opioids and other drugs via the Darknet. The arrests spanned North America, Europe, and Australia and involved extensive cooperation between dozens of American and foreign law enforcement agencies as Operation Dark HunTor.
International operation targets traffickers
The operation lasted for roughly ten months and followed earlier operations in Germany which shut down Darknet trafficking networks and provided important evidence.
Germany appears to have a prominent role in all of this, as 47 of the 150 total arrests took place in Germany, the second highest number behind the 65 in the United States.
The Department of Justice announcement indicates that more investigations are ongoing and that the number of arrests will likely rise.
Authorities also managed to seize significant amounts in various currencies and large quantities of various drugs meant for Darknet sale.
The Justice Department highlighted the global scale and interconnectedness of Darknet drug trafficking and the necessity of working closely with foreign law enforcement agencies.
The operation targeted individuals who are central to that global trade in their roles as administrators and vendors on the illegal marketplaces.
International Law Enforcement Operation Targeting Opioid Traffickers on the Darknet Results in 150 Arrests Worldwide and the Seizure of Weapons, Drugs, and over $31 Million
Darknet Narcotics Vendors Selling to Tens of Thousands of U.S. Residents Chargedhttps://t.co/4nMyNLCWn2 pic.twitter.com/F1i4N0gi6X
— Justice Department (@TheJusticeDept) October 26, 2021
Deadliest year on record
Europol, the DEA, and other U.S. federal agencies claim that this operation proves that the Darknet will no longer provide drug traffickers with anonymity.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service said that criminals frequently rely on postal services and private carriers to move drugs purchased through Darknet sources.
Two individuals from Texas are charged with sending methamphetamines by mail to buyers in Tennessee and elsewhere. The government seized more than $5 million believed to be profits from this operation.
Another group of criminals scattered across the United States was responsible for advertising and selling pressed fentanyl pills throughout the country.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there were more deaths from opioid overdoses in 2020 than in any previous year on record.
The collaborative operation will, according to the agencies involved, cause a significant disruption to the ability of traffickers to move hazardous drugs to the addicts who might otherwise contribute to those statistics.
