Operation Onymous: Darknet Related Bust In Ireland
Posted by: DeepDotWeb
November 6, 2014
Update 2: Busts confirmed – Silk Road 2 seized And other markets seized -See all the posts related to this ongoing case – Silk road Bust Tag
Update: Trying to verify the connection to several markets being down at this time
Its is not yet clear who is the vendor that was arrested but it was just published in irte.ie that the Gardaí (the police force of Ireland) raided an internet drug distribution center in Dublin “using the encrypted network Darknet” (Tor network?) and seized almost €200,000 worth of cannabis, ecstasy and LSD.
Quoting the article:
Two men in their 30s have been arrested and are being questioned at Kevin Street and Kilmainham Garda Stations.
Gardaí say one of them is suspected to be a key figure in the distribution of drugs worldwide from Ireland.
The arrests are part of a worldwide investigation involving the Garda, European Police Forces, Interpol and the FBI.
Searches are continuing today in two other locations in Dublin.
Gardaí say it is the first time a suspect has been identified and drugs seized despite the use of encryption protection.
Operation Charge is an investigation into criminality on the internet, focusing on Darknet, an encrypted private peer to peer network, where users believe they can communicate with little fear of government or other interference or monitoring.
Officers from the Garda National Drug Unit, the Computer Crime investigation Unit, and the Criminal Assets Bureau raided a rented unit in a business park in south Dublin yesterday.
They discovered an encrypted computer connected to the Silk Road site, which has been used as an online marketplace for drugs.
They also discovered over €180,000 worth of cannabis, ecstasy and LSD, which they believe was being sold in the US, Canada, Europe and Ireland.
A number of computers and documentation related to offshore accounts has also been seized.
A follow-up search in Harolds Cross in Dublin resulted in the seizure of controlled drugs and documents relating to off-shore bank accounts in Switzerland, Belize, Poland and a number of other countries.
One of the men in custody was identified and targeted by the Garda National Drugs Unit.
Gardaí say it is the first time a suspect has been identified and drugs seized despite the use of encryption protection.
(source: http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/1106/657346-drugs/)
Not only this, but another site quoted a statement release by Gardaí mentioning that this bust was just a part of an ongoing operation called “Onymous”, involving the FBI/Europol and should conclude within the next 24 hours and is suppose to take down several Dark Net markets and forums.
An international day of action to disrupt global activity on the Darknet and remove certain websites and forums is to conclude within the next 24 hours under the FBI/Europol operation codenamed “Onymous”.
And also made a reference to the arrested vendor:
“The fact that such a significant vendor has been arrested in the presence of an encrypted but open computer with address lists for customers all over the world will be of significant interest to many global law enforcement agencies who specialise in Darknet investigations,” the Garda statement concluded.
We will follow and update as this story unfolds.
Updated: 2014-11-06