Two Men Associated With the “Closed” Hansa Darknet Market Busted By the Nrw

 

Two drug lords are now in the police custody after an investigation led to their arrest in Germany. According to police, They contributed to the rise of dangerous substances, sold on one of the largest, now busted, Darknet markets; Hansa. Their ages are 31 and 32 years, but their identities were withheld by authorities.

Some reports say that they were the administrators of the Hansa market.

According to the police, the duo played a huge role in the selling of drugs, weapons, and fake documents to people on the Darknet market. The duo was the backbone of the Hansa Darknet market, and their efforts kept the illegal trade alive, as confirmed after Germany and other European countries conducted an investigation over the month.

This week has been a busy one after the shutting down of Darknet marketplaces, and the arresting of vendors and users on the various platforms.

Information from the WDR reveals that the authorities spotted the 31-year-old suspect and arrested him in Neunkirchen. Most of these Darknet drug lords run their services from the cities, and that is where they traffic drugs to buyers all over the world. Since their arrest, they are reported to be in the custody of the Bavarian police.

Two agencies in Germany waged the war against the Darknet. The Central Office and the Prosecution office in Bamberg collaborated to hunt down the suspects. Other ministries and agencies have also shown their support for the fight against Darknet and its dealers. The Bavarian Justice Minister recently called for support in the fight against the Darknet marketplace.

Winfried Bausback, the Bavarian Justice Minister has said; “investigators must get their feet on the legal ground by receiving information about the sender and recipient of mailings.”

Tracking addresses on the deliveries have led to the arrest of many Darknet dealers in Germany. Today, controlling the websites are nationwide priority.

The Frankfurt investigators said that the arrested duo was pillars behind the smooth running of the Hansa Darknet market, before its recent shut-down by authorities in some selected countries in Europe and America.

George Ungefuk, the current Chief Attorney of the Frankfurt Office described the Hansa market as the world’s second largest avenue for trading illicit goods.

The suspects have violated the copyright law in Germany. They are therefore guilty of producing and selling counterfeit documents to people on the Darknet market.

Reports state that the supposed Hansa market operators have a good personal relationship with each other. They are also technological genius for setting up such a great platform.

They have not yet been charged, as an investigation is still ongoing. The police will expectedly complete their investigation in three to four months’ time.

The case will likely be taken over by the Prosecutor’s office in Cologne because both men come from the North Rhine-Westphalia.

Investigators are still making sure that they shut down the remaining illegal black markets online, and arrest its vendors. Silk Road, Alphabay, and Hansa market have all been one-time reigning champions in the online drug trade. However, their operation could not stand the test of time.

The Hansa Market Taken Down By Authorities

The market which won the trust of many drug vendors became one of the few sites taken down by authorities.

The Europol and the US Department of Justice announced in a press release that the site is no more. The suspected German administrators who are in the police custody made so much money from the website, especially after they closed down the Alphabay market.

Authorities from different countries collaborated to act on the global operation.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, together with the law enforcement authorities in Thailand, United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Lithuania, and the Canada conducted the operation. The Europol was also a participant in the operation.

Andrew McCabe, the FBI deputy director said that some people thought it was impossible for Darknet market administrators and users to be identified and arrested due to the many nationalities involved. He said; “There are some criminals that think of cybercrime as a freebie.” He continued that “They think they will get away with it because there are too many players and too many countries, they think they will get away with it because the schemes are too complex and because they run in the shadows.”

This shows that arresting Darknet dealers are possible, and authorities are going through files to find and arrest the buyers and sellers who traded on the platform.