Law enforcement co-ordination put forward as “the only cure” for criminality on The Dark Web

Posted On 20 Jun 2018

Law enforcement agencies from 28 countries across the globe have met at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague to share knowledge and expertise and discuss a co-ordinated approach towards tackling crime on The Dark Web.

Through the European Cyber Crime Centre (EC3), Europol has been supporting the investigation of criminal marketplaces on The Dark Web for some years now by dint of sharing tools, tactics and techniques. The Dark Web hosts many of the critical marketplaces for several criminal organisations and individual illegal activities in Europe and around the world. Due to its structural characteristics – ie the possibility to buy and sell anonymously and the fact that it’s a digital space that knows no national borders – The Dark Web is a fertile environment for criminals.

In recent years, several successful co-ordinated investigations were able to take down some of the largest Dark Web markets, undermining the assets exploited by criminals. In particular, last summer the joint operations led by the US’ FBI and the Dutch National Police, with the support of Europol and other law enforcement partners, served to shut down Alphabay and Hansa, two of the largest marketplaces responsible for the trading of over 350,000 illicit goods including drugs, firearms and cyber crime tools.

In these specific marketplaces, where bitcoins were the dominant payment method, different types of illegal goods and criminal services were sold, even though more than two-thirds of transactions were for illicit drugs and chemical substances.

Owing to the success of these operations, the volume of transactions has decreased and some traders have left The Dark Web platform due to anxiety, uncertainty and the risks regarding the level of anonymity. After the take down operations, many vendors who had their shops closed twice in short succession were not inclined to open them again, while the distrust between vendors and buyers has demonstrably increased.

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About the Author

Brian Sims BA (Hons) Hon FSyI, Editor, Risk Xtra (Pro-Activ Publications) Beginning his career in professional journalism at The Builder Group in March 1992, Brian was appointed Editor of Security Management Today in November 2000 having spent eight years in engineering journalism across two titles: Building Services Journal and Light & Lighting. In 2005, Brian received the BSIA Chairman’s Award for Promoting The Security Industry and, a year later, the Skills for Security Special Award for an Outstanding Contribution to the Security Business Sector. In 2008, Brian was The Security Institute’s nomination for the Association of Security Consultants’ highly prestigious Imbert Prize and, in 2013, was a nominated finalist for the Institute’s George van Schalkwyk Award. An Honorary Fellow of The Security Institute, Brian serves as a Judge for the BSIA’s Security Personnel of the Year Awards and the Securitas Good Customer Award. Between 2008 and 2014, Brian pioneered the use of digital media across the security sector, including webinars and Audio Shows. Brian’s actively involved in 50-plus security groups on LinkedIn and hosts the popular Risk UK Twitter site. Brian is a frequent speaker on the conference circuit. He has organised and chaired conference programmes for both IFSEC International and ASIS International and has been published in the national media. Brian was appointed Editor of Risk UK at Pro-Activ Publications in July 2014. Brian was launch Editor for The Paper in September 2015 and appointed Editor of Risk Xtra in May 2018.