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Cops in the Republic of Ireland Seize 2m Euros of digital currency from the Darknet




The Darknet, an encrypted version of the internet that enables anonymity, has become a tool that is being used by drug peddlers, has been exposed in Ireland by the Irish police. According to the local reports police in the Republic of Ireland has seized almost 2m Euros of digital currency and drugs in an operation targeting international drug selling over the Darknet.

A Garda spokesman said that a critical part of this operation was preservation of data on encrypted computers which related to the worldwide distribution of controlled drugs from this premises in Dublin. He further added that the operation was based at a secured premise on the South Circular Road in Dublin’s south inner city.

Nonetheless, the police in Ireland have been able to nab the operators of the drug den – it is the first arrests and seizures relating to drug dealing on the hidden internet in the country. The cops were able to do this after keeping the operators under surveillance for a couple of weeks as a part of a global effort involving Europol and the FBI.

The seized drugs include Ecstasy tablets, LSD and other illegal drugs valued at around two million Euros. According to the police two men in their 30s were arrested at the scene and being held at nearby Kevin Street and Kilmainham Garda stations in the Irish capital under section two of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act.

Drugs and Bitcoin Seized

The cops in Ireland received a lot of invaluable assistance of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and the Computer Crime Investigation Unit. Under the operation a number of computers were safely retrieved with accessible information immediately at the time of entry on this search. With the inputs, they were able to nab the two culprits.

In its statement the Ireland police said that currently analysis is continuing with regard to storage of electro currency Bitcoin, and CAB have already seized certain currency assets. It believes that as a significant vendor has been arrested in the presence of an encrypted but open computer with address lists for customers all over the world.

The list according to the investigating sources will be of significant interest to many global law enforcement agencies that specialize in Darknet investigations. They say that they have also seized a number of Bitcoin, an internet currency that enables anonymous transactions that were stored on computers recovered.


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