German police lead break up of Darknet trafficking platform

Online crime

BERLIN — German investigators said they’ve broken up one of the world’s largest online criminal trafficking platform in a joint investigation with American and Dutch authorities.

The Federal Criminal Police Office said Friday they arrested three German men in three southern states on allegations they ran the so-called “Wall Street Market” Darknet platform offering cocaine, heroin, and other drugs, data, fake documents and malicious software through 1.15 million customer accounts. Prosecutors alleged payments were in cryptocurrency and they took a 2%-6% commission.

Authorities seized their server on Thursday, and confiscated 550,000 euros ($615,000) in cash, cryptocurrencies, hard drives, and other evidence in multiple raids.

They said American authorities arrested two drug suppliers in Los Angeles, confiscating some $1 million cash, weapons and drugs.

No names were released and further details weren’t immediately available, as of this posting. /kga