Operation SpecTor Targets Darknet Markets.
A coordinated operation spanning nine countries targeting darknet drug markets culminated with seizures of more than $50 million and millions of potentially lethal pills. Operation SpecTor spanned three continents, seized millions of dollars, and removed tens of thousands of potentially lethal drugs from circulation.
A massive coordinated operation spanning nine countries and dozens of law enforcement agencies across the United States, Europe, and South America targeting darknet drug markets culminated recently with seizures of more than $50 million in cash and virtual currency, 1,875 pounds of potentially lethal pills and other drugs, and 288 arrests.
Operation SpecTor uncovered vast networks of manufacturers, online supply chains, buyers, re-sellers, and users, revealing that the darknet a part of the internet accessible through an encrypted browser provides only a veneer of anonymity. The drug seizures included about 152 pounds of fentanyl; a synthetic opioid so dangerous that two milligrams like a few grains of salt is a potentially lethal dose.
“The availability of dangerous substances like fentanyl on darknet marketplaces is helping to fuel the crisis that has claimed far too many American lives, “FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement. “That’s why we will continue to join forces with our law enforcement partners around the globe to attack this problem together.”