Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, carried out an operation to neutralise the international darknet marketplace Monopoly Market, arresting 288 suspects and seizing €50.8 million ($53.4 million) in cryptocurrency and cash.
As part of the investigation, Europol cooperated with Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States and Switzerland.
In addition to the money, authorities seized 850 kg of synthetic drugs and 117 firearms.
Law enforcement gathered intelligence based on a multitude of evidence uncovered after the closure of another darknet marketplace — Hydra. In April 2022, German police seized the platform’s servers and 543 BTC, and the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions against it.
According to updated Europol data, the Hydra closure yielded €23 million in digital assets for the authorities.
“A coalition of law enforcement on three continents shows that we are all achieving greater success when we work together. This operation sends dark-web criminals a clear signal — international law enforcement has the means and the ability to identify you and hold you accountable for your illegal actions,” the press release said.
Earlier in April 2023, a U.S. court sentenced Georgia resident James Zhong to one year and one day in prison for the theft of 50,000 BTC from the Silk Road darknet marketplace.