Operation RapTor involves law enforcement actions taken by JCODE member agencies, including the DEA, FBI, FDA OCI, HSI, IRS-CI, and USPIS. McDonald recruited and hired accomplices to help package and ship the narcotics they sold on the darknet. McDonald operated under the monikers “Malachai Johnson,” “SouthSideOxy,” and “JefeDeMichoacan.” McDonald created, monitored, and maintained the darknet vendor profiles, including by updating drug listings and shipment options, tracking drug orders, and offloading Monero cryptocurrency received as drug deal payments into cryptocurrency wallets that McDonald controlled. An additional 30 kilograms of suspected counterfeit Adderall pills were seized on May 2, 2024, in New York. Additionally, two vehicles and several pieces of property were seized during the search warrants. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia charged Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Rafael Roman by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
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One suspect with ties to the marketplace has already been arrested; Alan Bill, a Slovak national operating under the monikers of “Vendor” and “KingdomOfficial,” was allegedly one of the platform’s administrators. The document also specifies that authorities are analyzing the infrastructure of the seized server in hopes of finding the identities of Kingdom Market’s operators. According to a press release from the Federal Criminal Police Office in Germany (BKA), the marketplace had 42,000 items listed for sale when it was seized, including 3,600 from Germany.
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- Srinivasan also used the encrypted messaging application Wickr to communicate with and sell drugs to customers.
- McDonald operated under the monikers “Malachai Johnson,” “SouthSideOxy,” and “JefeDeMichoacan.” McDonald created, monitored, and maintained the darknet vendor profiles, including by updating drug listings and shipment options, tracking drug orders, and offloading Monero cryptocurrency received as drug deal payments into cryptocurrency wallets that McDonald controlled.
- I am not able to tell what was seized, I was not aware where the database server has been located.
- Based on the timing and amounts of these transactions, your affiant believes these payments were made to an administrator of Kingdom.” states US court documents.
- These leads allow U.S. and international law enforcement agencies to identify darknet drug vendors and buyers, resulting in a series of coordinated, but separate, law enforcement investigations, reflected in the statistics announced today.
Market In The Park
According to court documents and statements made in court, these three prolific darknet vendors were collectively responsible for fulfilling over 13,000 drug orders shipped throughout the United States, ranging in size from user quantities, e.g., 5 pills, to “reseller” quantities, e.g., 10,000 pills. Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Roman conspired to sell counterfeit Adderall containing methamphetamine on darknet markets such as Bohemia and Tor2Door. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California secured a 17-year sentence for Adan Ruiz, of Orange County, and a 15-year sentence for Omar Navia, of Los Angeles, for supplying fentanyl-laced pills to a drug trafficking ring that sold these drugs to more than 1,000 customers nationwide via the darknet. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York of narcotics conspiracy, money laundering, and conspiracy to sell adulterated and misbranded medication for owning and operating Incognito Market, one of the largest narcotics marketplaces on the internet.
Osaka Marketplace is a unique destination offering a wide range of Japanese products, including fresh sushi and sashimi at a great value. Invitations from platforms like Drughub and Cypher quickly surfaced on Dread, highlighting the competitive dynamics within the dark web ecosystem. The takedown of Kingdom Market was met with mixed reactions within the dark web community.
Kingdom Market, operating since at least March 2021 on TOR and the Invisible Internet Project (I2P), thrived on illegal transactions. The joint operation, initiated on Dec. 16, marks a significant blow to cybercriminal activities. Major categories of U.S. exports include financial and professional services, industrial supplies, agricultural products, cyber security and other IT, medical equipment, consumer goods, smart grids, and travel & tourism. Despite continuing to face regulatory challenges posed by the effects of the UK’s exit from the European Union (“Brexit”), high inflation driven by rising energy prices, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK remains a critical market for American exports of goods and services.
Dread staff has received information from a trusted party that multiple individuals, which had sufficient server access to Kingdom's infrastructure, have been arrested by law enforcement with their systems seized. At the same time, the administrators or promoters of some unknown dark web markets such as "Elysium Market", "Dark Matter Market", "SuperMarket", etc. started to post on the Dread forums that their markets welcome refugees (customers and vendors) from "Kingdom Market". "Kingdom Market administrators charge a 3 percent fee as a commission on all sales made on the platform.
The dark web landscape remains dynamic, with law enforcement agencies actively targeting cybercriminal activities and marketplaces facilitating illegal trade The dark web marketplace, dubbed the Kingdom Market, was founded in March 2021 and offered drugs, malware, stolen data, and fake documents. “The Kingdom Market darknet site allowed criminals to move dangerous drugs in and out of our communities and use the digital world to hide their illegal activities,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Melissa McFadden of IRS Criminal Investigation’s (CI) St. Louis Field Office. The Kingdom Market was established in March 2021, the offer of the dark web marketplace included drugs, malware, stolen data, and forged documents. The German authorities have announced the takedown of a notorious dark web marketplace known for selling drugs, malware and other illegal items. Members of the shady marketplace peddled forged documents, drugs, malware, stolen personal information, and cybercrime services.
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It is unlikely that Kingdom Market will return following its takedown and the seizure of its server infrastructure. Alan Bill, a Slovakian man who went by “Vend0r” or “KingdomOfficial”, was arrested on 15 December 2023, according to court documents. “We proudly announce that the kingdom has fallen! “Residents of the kingdom, My business visibility has skyrocketed, and I feel part of a supportive community. After the longest federal shutdown ever… After…
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According to a BKA press release, the marketplace hosted 42,000 items for sale, 3,600 of which were from Germany. As BleepingComputer reported, Dread staff spread rumors about multiple individuals with access to the marketplace server infrastructure being arrested. This takedown follows another significant operation earlier in the week when the FBI seized the website of the AlphV/Blackcat ransomware gang. Over 42,000 criminal offers ranging from drugs to malware are no longer available. As many as 42,000 products have been sold via several hundred seller accounts on the English language platform prior to its takedown, with 3,600 of them originating from Germany. Bill, a Slovakian national, adds an international dimension to the legal repercussions stemming from the dark web platform's activities.
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“The use of darknet marketplaces and cryptocurrency will not protect dangerous criminals from law enforcement efforts to combat the flow of narcotics and other illegal activities,” said U.S. German law enforcement agencies have successfully taken down Kingdom Market, a notorious darknet marketplace serving as a hub for illegal goods and services. Kingdom Market was a dark web marketplace launched in 2021, which allowed users to buy and sell malware, drugs, cyber criminal services, stolen data and more, with transactions all being done using cryptocurrency. Operation RapTor builds on the successes of prior years’ operations and takedowns of marketplaces, which resulted in the seizure of darknet infrastructure from Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Markets, providing investigators across the world with investigative leads and evidence.
“While we should applaud this cross-border and multiagency operation, the modern-day disruption of cybercrime’s infrastructure and even arrests of some identifiable cyber gang’s members is rarely sufficient,” Dr. Ilia Kolochenko, chief executive officer and chief architect at security company ImmuniWeb SA and adjunct professor of cybersecurity and cyber law at Capital Technology University, told SiliconANGLE. Although the Kingdom Market dark web marketplace has been taken offline, other forums will take its place. Helping in the operation were law enforcement authorities from the U.S., Switzerland, Moldova and Ukraine. “To pay, users of the darknet marketplace used the cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, Litecoin, Monero and Zcash.
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Sorry the Kingdom disappointed you, sorry you lost money while the market was took down. I am not able to tell what was seized, I was not aware where the database server has been located. I am also so sorry you lost money after the seizure of market servers.
For the processing of sales made via the platform The operators of illegal goods received three percent as a commission payment.” Tens of thousands of customers and several hundred seller accounts were registered on the marketplace.” reads a press release published by BKA. In addition to international coordination, innovative investigation strategies were also a guarantee for the renewed success against organised cybercrime. The English-language Kingdom Market, which was accessible via the Tor and I2P anonymization networks, had been operational since at least March 2021, with a focus on trading narcotics.
Incognito Market was available globally to anyone with internet access using the Tor web browser on the “dark web” or “darknet.” Incognito Market was designed to facilitate seamless narcotics transactions, incorporating many features of legitimate e-commerce sites such as branding, advertising, and customer service. According to court documents and statements made in court, Incognito Market was an online narcotics bazaar that started on the dark web in October 2020. Postal Inspection Service and our partners around the world stand united,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “This record-breaking operation sends a clear message to every trafficker hiding behind a screen—your anonymity ends where our global reach begins,” said Acting Director Todd Lyons of U.S. “This unprecedented operation is a testament to the power of global partnership and the unwavering dedication of our team,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Operation RapTor shows that the dark web is not beyond the reach of law enforcement,” said Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, Edvardas Šileris.
A few days ago, an announcement to all Kingdom Market residents was posted on the Darknet's Dread forums by a suspected law enforcement officer or spoofing user under the nickname "FallenKingdom". More than 42,000 products are offered on the marketplace, of which about 3,600 are from Germany. In addition, malware, criminal services and forged documents are advertised through the platform for profit. However, the administrators of the "Kingdom Market" dark web marketplace have not yet been apprehended. Despite being taken offline, reports say other forums will replace the Kingdom Market dark web marketplace.
The impact of Operation RapTor can be attributed to the tireless work of U.S. and international law enforcement partners. “The FDA is committed to continuing its work to disrupt and dismantle the illegal sales of drugs on the dark web, where such sales far too often have tragic consequences,” said Deputy Director Chad Menster of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA OCI). This operation was about protecting innocent people from predatory criminals who profit from violence, addiction, and fear. “No matter where criminals hide, we will find them, dismantle their operations, and bring them to justice. “Thanks to the unwavering efforts by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Europol and our international partners, we’re cracking the code of the so-called ‘safe spaces’ for cybercriminals—they are in our sights and we’re not backing down.” “Working through the JCODE initiative, IRS Criminal Investigation and our international partners led the largest and most impactful takedown to date—seizing over $200 million in assets, removing deadly drugs and weapons from circulation, and holding more than 270 individuals accountable.
On December 16, 2023, the illegal dark web marketplace "Kingdom Market" was successfully shut down. “These darknet marketplaces present a significant danger to our communities here in the U.S. as well as those of our international partners.” said HSI Kansas City acting Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho. “This case is a result of diligent efforts by a team of U.S. and international investigators to target one of the largest darknet marketplaces in the world.” The market opened in March of 2021 and sold illegal drugs and unlicensed pharmaceuticals, stolen identities, credit card information, counterfeit money, computer malware and fraudulent identity documents including passports and drivers licenses from Missouri and other states, the charging documents say. According to a press release from German police, the operators of Kingdom Market are accused of operating a criminal trading platform on the internet and of illicit trafficking of narcotics.
