German investigators shut down illegal darknet marketplace "Kingdom Market"
The marketplace, which was accessible via the Tor network and other encrypted channels over the internet, had been active since at least March 2021 and was primarily used to trade in narcotics. According to the investigators, malware, forged documents and criminal services were also offered there. Payment was made in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. The platform operators received a commission for the transaction.
According to the BKA and the public prosecutor's office, they cooperated with law enforcement authorities in the USA, Switzerland, Ukraine and Moldova in their investigations. More than 42,000 products were recently offered on "Kingdom Market", including 3,600 from Germany. Several hundred seller accounts and tens of thousands of customer accounts were registered there.
Investigations into those responsible for the illegal marketplace on the so-called Darknet are still ongoing. They are accused of commercially operating a criminal trading platform on the internet and illicit trafficking in narcotics. The evaluation of the servers seized during the operation that began on Saturday had not yet been completed.
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Source: www.stern.de
