Press Release: Europe-wide takedown hits longest-standing dark web drug market | Cannabis Law Report | Where to order Skittles Moonrock online

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Between 11 and 13 June, a series of coordinated actions took place across Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden, targeting the platform’s administrator, moderators, key vendors, and technical infrastructure. Around 300 officers were deployed to carry out enforcement actions and secure critical evidence.

Archetyp Market operated as a drug marketplace for over five years, amassing more than 600 000 users worldwide with a total transaction volume of at least EUR 250 million. With over 17 000 listings, it is one of the few darknet markets that allowed the sale of fentanyl and other highly potent synthetic opioids, contributing to the growing threat posed by these substances in Europe and beyond.

As a result of the action, the platform’s infrastructure in the Netherlands was taken offline and its administrator – a 30-year-old German national – was arrested in Barcelona, Spain. In parallel, measures were taken in Germany and Sweden against one moderator and six of the marketplace’s highest vendors, and assets worth EUR 7.8 million seized.

This operation led by the German authorities marks the end of a criminal service that enabled the anonymous trade in high volumes of illicit drugs, including cocaine, MDMA, amphetamines, and synthetic opioids. The platform’s endurance, scale and reputation within the criminal community place it alongside now-defunct darknet markets such as Dream Market and Silk Road, both notorious for their role in facilitating online drug trafficking.

Europol’s Deputy Executive Director of Operations Jean-Philippe Lecouffe commented:

With this takedown, law enforcement has taken out one of the dark web’s longest-running drug markets, cutting off a major supply line for some of the world’s most dangerous substances. By dismantling its infrastructure and arresting its key players, we are sending a clear message: there is no safe haven for those who profit from harm.

The takedown follows years of intensive investigative work to map the platform’s technical architecture and identify the individuals behind it. By tracing financial flows, analysing digital forensic evidence, and working closely with partners on the ground, authorities were able to deliver a decisive blow to one of the most prolific drug markets on the dark web.

Europol contributed to the efficiency and effectiveness of the international investigations. The agency organised multiple coordination meetings that made it possible for authorities to exchange critical information for the investigation. During the action days and the preliminary investigations, Eurojust coordinated the execution of mutual legal assistance and European Investigation Orders.

A seizure banner has been published on the now-defunct marketplace. Further information, as well as a video aimed at the underground economy, is available online at www.operation-deepsentinel.com

The following authorities took part in or assisted with the investigation:

• Germany: Prosecutor General’s Office Frankfurt am Main – Cyber Crime Centre (Generalstaatsanwaltschaft Frankfurt am Main – ZIT), Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt)
• Netherlands: National Police of the Netherlands (Politie)
• Romania: National Police (Poliția Română)
• Spain: National Police (Policía Nacional)
• Sweden: Swedish Police Authority (Polismyndigheten)
• United States: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ)
• Europol
• Eurojust