German authorities close Russia's world's largest darknet market 'Hydra', cryptocurrency exchange 'Garantex' to sanction
Hydra Market (Hydra), the world's largest online darknet marketplace used by Russian-speaking cybercriminals to trade drugs and launder money on April 5, 2022 by German police. Announced that it was closed. On the same day, the US Treasury announced that it had added the crypto exchange 'Garantex' to sanctions for being involved in transactions on Hydra.
BKA --Listenseite für Pressemitteilungen 2022 --Illegaler Darknet-Marktplatz 'Hydra Market' abgeschaltet
Justice Department Investigation Leads to Shutdown of Largest Online Darknet Marketplace | OPA | Department of Justice
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-investigation-leads-shutdown-largest-online-darknet-marketplace
Treasury Sanctions Russia-Based Hydra, World's Largest Darknet Market, and Ransomware-Enabling Virtual Currency Exchange Garantex | US Department of the Treasury
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0701
Germany takes down Hydra, world's largest darknet market
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/legal/germany-takes-down-hydra-worlds-largest-darknet-market/
The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the Central Bureau of Cybercrime Countermeasures (ZIT) seized the server that operated Hydra on April 5, 543.3 Bitcoin (about 3.05 billion yen at the rate at the time of writing the article) Announced that it was seized. The number of buyer accounts registered with Hydra was more than 19,000, and the service was provided to at least 17 million customers worldwide.
The following is the top page of Hydra before closure.
In 2020, the transaction value reached $ 1.35 billion (about 167.4 billion yen), and in Hydra, which was the world's largest darknet platform, in addition to the main transaction items of drugs and money laundering services, It also bought and sold stolen databases and counterfeit documents, and provided hacking services. In addition, 80% of the darknet market-related cryptocurrency transactions in 2021 are said to have been in Hydra.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on the same day that it will file a criminal complaint against Dmitry Olegovich Pavlov, 30, who lives in Russia, following the closure of Hydra. Pavlov was reportedly involved in managing the servers used to run Hydra, distributing drugs and laundering money.
Bleeping Computer, an IT news site that covered the matter, said, 'The seized equipment is likely to contain definitive evidence of Hydra's sellers and customers, so a significant number due to the progress of the investigation. Hydra users may be prosecuted. '
On the same day as the German authorities closed Hydra, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury announced that Hydra and the crypto exchange Garantex have been added to the sanctions list. This will prevent Americans from donating, providing and receiving funds, goods or services with Garantex, effectively making Garantex unavailable in the United States.
According to the announcement, Garantex is a cryptocurrency exchange registered in Estonia, but most of its business is done in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia.
'Russia is a paradise for cybercriminals. The US Treasury has deliberately ignored its obligations to prevent money laundering and counter terrorist financing, such as Hydra and Garantex, and the system We are committed to taking steps against businesses that allow them to be abused by illegal actors. '
Related Posts:
in Web Service, Posted by log1l_ks