US Shuts Down Huge Online Dark Web Market, AlphaBay
The cybercriminal cloak-and-dagger took a hit this calendar week with the shutdown of internet blackness marketplace AlphaBay.
The Justice Department seized AlphaBay, which operated for more 2 years and was a "major source of fentanyl and heroin," the agency says.
The site was used by "hundreds of thousands" of people to purchase and sell illegal goods and services, such as drugs, stolen and fraudulent identification documents and access devices, counterfeit appurtenances, malware and other hacking tools, firearms, and toxic chemicals, according to the DOJ. Authorities say "multiple overdose deaths beyond the country" accept been attributed to drugs purchased on the site.
The US seized AlphaBay's infrastructure with the help of police force enforcement authorities in Thailand, the Netherlands, Republic of lithuania, Canada, the UK, and French republic, equally well as the European law enforcement agency Europol.
Thai authorities on July 5 arrested a 25-year-former Canadian denizen, Alexandre Cazes aka Alpha02 and Admin, on behalf of the Us. Authorities say Cazes was the "creator and administrator" of AlphaBay. On July 12, Cazes "plainly took his own life while in custody in Thailand," the Justice Department says.
Cazes had been charged in a 16-count indictment with conspiracy to: commit identity theft, engage in racketeering, distribute narcotics, commit access device fraud, and launder money. The other charges included distribution of narcotics, unlawful transfer of fake identification documents, and trafficking in device making equipment.
According to the DOJ, Cazes and his wife "amassed numerous loftier-value avails, including luxury vehicles, residences, and a hotel in Thailand," plus "millions of dollars in cryptocurrency," which has been seized by the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration.
Prior to its takedown, the site had more than 100,000 users and twoscore,000 vendors. AlphaBay was even larger than Silk Road, which was seized by law enforcement in November 2022.
"This is likely one of the almost important criminal investigations of the year — taking downwardly the largest nighttime net market place in history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. "I believe that because of this operation, the American people are safer — safer from the threat of identity fraud and malware, and safer from mortiferous drugs."
The takedown of AlphaBay coincided with efforts past Dutch law enforcement to dismantle another prominent nighttime web marketplace called Hansa Market, which was also used to sell illegal drugs, malware, and apocryphal ID documents.
About Angela Moscaritolo
Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/news/16654/us-shuts-down-huge-online-dark-web-market-alphabay
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