This combined operation, known as “SpecTor,” was carried out by law enforcement organisations from the US, the UK, Brazil, and Europe. Through it, more than $53.4 million and 850 kilogrammes of cocaine were recovered.
In a multi-continental raid on a major dark web marketplace, law enforcement officials from the US, Britain, Brazil, and Europe arrested 288 people, recovered almost $53 Million, and seized over 850 kilogrammes of drugs.

According to information provided by Europol, over 153 suspects were detained in the US, followed by 55 suspects detained in Britain, 52 suspects detained in Germany, and 10 suspects detained in the Netherlands.

According to reports, every suspect detained during these operations was engaged in the purchase and sale of illegal substances on the “Monopoly Market,” a dark web marketplace.

“In an operation coordinated by Europol and involving nine countries, law enforcement have seized the illegal dark web marketplace ‘Monopoly Market’ and arrested 288 suspects involved in buying or selling drugs on the dark web,” said Europol of the multi-continental sweep.

This international operation is a follow-up to a German Police operation from 2021. The illegal infrastructure of the Monopoly Market was captured by the German Police during its operation in 2021, providing significant intelligence for the subsequent multi-continental takedown.

According to Europol, intelligence packages have been assembled using mountains of data that the German government has made available.

These target packages, which were developed by cross-matching and assessing the data and evidence gathered, served as the foundation for hundreds of national investigations. 288 vendors and buyers who participated in tens of thousands of purchases of legal items as a result were detained in Brazil, the United States, Britain, and Europe, they continued.