US Arrest 150 People For Darknet Opioid Trafficking

WASHINGTON: The US Department of Justice issued a release on Tuesday saying it partnered with international law enforcement agencies in an operation that resulted in the arrest of 150 people alleged to have been engaged in opioid trafficking through the Darknet.

“Today, the Department of Justice, through the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team joined Europol to announce the results of Operation Dark HunTor, a coordinated international effort on three continents to disrupt opioid trafficking on the Darknet,” the statement said.

The Justice Department explained the undertaken actions have resulted in the arrest of 150 alleged drug traffickers and other criminals who engaged in tens of thousands of sales of illicit goods and services across Australia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The operation has so far resulted in 65 arrests in the United States, 47 in Germany, 24 in the United Kingdom and a number more in other countries, including some still under active investigation, the release said.

Law enforcement seized more than $31.6 million in cash and virtual currencies as well as 234 kilograms of narcotics and 45 firearms as a result of the operation, the release added

“This ten-month massive international law enforcement operation spanned across three continents and involved dozens of US and international law enforcement agencies to send one clear message to those hiding on the Darknet peddling illegal drugs: there is no dark internet. We can and we will shine a light,” US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in the release.