Finland Seizes Servers of Tor Network ‘Sipulitie’ Dark Web Drug Marketplace
Published on October 16, 2024
- The darknet marketplace ‘Sipulitie’ website and servers were targeted by the authorities in Europe.
- The website where criminals sold illegal narcotics anonymously was taken down, and servers were seized.
- The Sipulitie marketplace has been operating on the Tor network since 2023
The 'Sipulitie' darknet marketplace, known for the anonymous sale of illegal narcotics, was dismantled via an operation involving Finnish Customs, Europol, the Swedish police, Polish law enforcement authorities, and cybersecurity experts from Bitdefender.
The seized site reportedly had a turnover of 1.3 million Euros ($1.42 million) and was a successor to 'Sipulimarket,' which generated over two million Euros before its seizure in December 2020.
Both 'Sipulitie' and its chat-based drug sales platform, 'Tsätti,' have been taken offline, with a notice of the takedown operation displayed on their sites.
On another Sipulitie domain, the cybercriminals urge their customers to download a document with Darknet Market Links as soon as possible, encourage them to find new marketplaces, and even provide a list.
Authorities have confirmed identifying the main operator, moderators, and users of these platforms, indicating potential impending arrests.
This seizure follows a broader trend in law enforcement efforts targeting decentralized and localized drug sales platforms, as seen with the recent takedowns of Nemesis Market and Incognito Market and the arrest of Bohemia/Cannabia's administrator.
Director of Enforcement Hannu Sinkkonen commented on the achievement, highlighting the ongoing commitment to dismantling illegal activities on the dark web. The takedown of 'Sipulitie' marks another step in the continuous effort to disrupt online illicit drug trade networks following the closure of Hydra, the world's largest darknet market, in 2022.
In 2021, Operation HunTor, an international multi-agency effort, resulted in 150 arrests in the US, Europe, and Australia, and over $31 million in cash and cryptocurrency were confiscated, along with a large volume of various drugs.
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