Investigators in Finland have seized and shut down a web server used to operate a local dark web marketplace.
Piilopuoti opened on May 18 2022, with its administrators attempting to hide its presence by operating only on the encrypted Tor network, according to a brief statement from Finnish customs yesterday.
“The site has been used in anonymous criminal activities such as narcotics trade. As a rule, the narcotics sold on the site were smuggled to Finland from abroad,” it continued.
“The criminal investigation is still underway. At this point, Finnish Customs and our international cooperation partners will not provide any further information on the matter.”
Finnish customs officers worked with partners in Germany and Lithuania, as well as Europol, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust), Finnish police and authorities in other countries.
Private sector partner Bitdefender claimed to have offered crucial cybersecurity consulting and support to the investigative team. It hailed the operation as proof of the value of public-private partnerships in this space.
“We applaud the seizure of Piilopuoti and extend our congratulations to law enforcement, Finnish customs, and all involved parties,” said Alexandru Catalin Cosoi, senior director of the Investigation and Forensics Unit at Bitdefender.
“This operation underscores the power of collaboration between the public and private sectors in disrupting illegal online activities. It serves as a clear message to criminals who believe they are untouchable on the dark web: international efforts will bring them to justice.”
International law enforcers have had a busy year so far disrupting dark web marketplaces similar to this one.
In April, they seized the domains for Genesis Market, which sold credentials and tools to hack networks, and in May they arrested 300 individuals on suspicion of buying or selling drugs on underground marketplace Monopoly Market.
Just last month, Polish police took down the prolific Lolek bulletproof hosting service.