The Dark Web Marketplaces Bohemia and Cannabia Shut Down Following a Coordinated Effort by Law Enforcement
The authorities in the Netherlands have reported the closure of Bohemia and Cannabia, known as the largest and most enduring illicit marketplace on the dark web for contraband, narcotics, and illicit cyber activities.
This takedown marks the outcome of a combined probe involving Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, commencing in late 2022, as per the Police.
The online platform halted its services in late 2023 amid reports of operational disruptions and exit frauds following the alleged rebellion of one of its developers, termed as a “shameful and disgruntled sequence of occurrences” by one of the administrators.
Bohemia was reportedly responsible for broadcasting 82,000 advertisements globally every day, with approximately 67,000 transactions occurring each month. The total revenue for September 2023 alone was recorded at €12 million.
“Several vendors in the marketplace promoted deliveries originating from the Netherlands,” stated the Police agency. “Preliminary findings indicate that a minimum of 14,000 transactions were traced back to the Netherlands, amounting to a value of at least 1.7 million euros.”
The authorities specified that they successfully identified multiple administrators and detained two suspects – one in the Netherlands and another in Ireland. Furthermore, assets including two vehicles and cryptocurrency valued at €8 million were confiscated.
“Those overseeing, facilitating, and participating in unlawful online marketplaces often perceive themselves to be beyond the reach of law enforcement and the justice system,” noted Stan Duijf, head of the National Investigation and Interventions operations unit.
“Through the pursuit of criminal investigations and the prosecution of these perpetrators, it is evident that the dark web does not guarantee the anonymity it promises. Thanks to international collaboration, the legitimacy and dependability of such marketplaces have once again been severely undermined.”
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Ukrainian authorities detained a 28-year-old individual for allegedly running a virtual private network (VPN) that enabled internal users to access the Russian internet (also known as Runet) in violation of sanctions.
Notably, the service, equipped with over 48 million IP addresses, was believed to have been established by an unnamed self-taught hacker from Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine, following the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.
“The individual promoted his service in private Telegram channels and specialized online communities, as well as on a renowned tech platform, portraying himself as a project developer and engaging with like-minded individuals,” the agency explained.
Furthermore, recent reports state that two individuals associated with a Russian threat faction known as Armageddon (also called Gamaredon) have been sentenced to a 15-year jail term in absentia for orchestrating cyber assaults against governmental entities in Ukraine, according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
The identities of the convicts were not disclosed, although they might correspond to Sklianko Oleksandr Mykolaiovych and Chernykh Mykola Serhiiovyc, both of whom were previously sanctioned by the European Council.
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