150 arrested in biggest-ever dark web sting

150 suspects around the world, including the US and UK, have been arrested in the biggest-ever dark web sting.

Police have arrested 150 suspects around the world, including several high-profile targets, in the biggest-ever dark web sting that includes buying or selling illegal goods online.

The “darknet” includes websites that can be assessed only with specific software or authorisations, ensuring users anonymity.

Europol announced today, October 26, that the suspects were arrested in one of the largest-ever stings targeting the dark web and that millions of euros in cash and bitcoin, as well as drugs and guns, has been recovered.

This sting stems from a German-led bust earlier this year.

The so-called Dark HunTOR, “was composed of a series of separate but complementary actions in Australia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States,” the Hague-based Europol said.

In the US alone, police arrested 65 people. 47 were held in Germany, 24 in the UK, and four each in Italy and the Netherlands, among others.

A number of those arrested “were considered high-value targets” by Europol.

Law agents also recovered 26.7 million euros in cash and virtual currencies, as well as 45 guns and 234 kilogrammes of drugs, including 25,000 ecstasy pills.

Police in Italy also shut down the “DeepSea” and “Berlusconi” marketplaces, “which together boasted over 100,000 announcements of illegal products,” said Europol.

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