Analysis of the consequences of closing the largest drug market for future strategies.
A recent article in Cybercrime and Cybersecurity, led by Priyanka Goonetilleke and Alex Knorre, is a comprehensive study of the world's largest darknet market, Hydra. The article provides key insights and lessons learned from the analysis of this platform, which remained a leading player in the shadow internet arena until its closure in April 2022.
A distinctive feature of Hydra was the delivery system through the so-called "dead bookmarks", which, despite its effectiveness, significantly increased the final cost of prohibited substances. In addition, the platform used advanced feedback and reputation mechanisms, which contributed to the formation of trust between users.
Hydra's closure sheds light on the complexities of anti-shadow market policies. On the one hand, the existence of such platforms contributes to the digitalization of the drug trade, reducing the visibility of trade and potentially increasing the availability of prohibited substances. On the other hand, the closure of large markets leads to increased competition among new platforms and may encourage the development of more aggressive competition methods, including hacker attacks.
In April 2022, the US Department of Justice announced the closure of Hydra Market, noting that in 2021, Hydra participated in approximately 80% of all transactions related to dark markets, and since 2015, about $ 5.2 billion in cryptocurrency has been received on the platform. Together with the German Federal Criminal Police (Bundeskriminalamt), Hydra servers and crypto wallets containing $ 25 million worth of bitcoins were seized.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland expressed the determination of justice to pursue lawbreakers, regardless of their location, and stressed the importance of international cooperation in the fight against dark markets. Hydra operated as an online marketplace for criminal transactions, including the sale of illegal drugs, stolen financial information, forged documents, and money laundering and cryptocurrency mixing services. As part of Hydra's closure, criminal charges were filed against Dmitry Olegovich Pavlov, a 30-year-old resident of Russia, for conspiracy to distribute drugs and conspiracy to launder money.
DEA administrator Ann Milgram said the dark market was a key location for the sale of deadly drugs around the world, and Hydra posed a threat to public safety and health. The Hydra platform allowed sellers to advertise their illegal products, and buyers rated sellers and their products on a five-star system. Hydra also sold fake documents and offered hacking and money laundering services.
It is important to note that Hydra not only offered a wide range of narcotic substances, but also implemented its own quality control methods and even provided medical advice. This highlights the possibility of self-regulation in large markets and opens up a discussion about the balance between combating drug trafficking and reducing the risks and harms associated with it.
The study concludes with the need for an in-depth analysis of the consequences of the policy of closing shadow markets and a review of approaches to drug policy in general, given the complex impact of such markets on society and state security.
A recent article in Cybercrime and Cybersecurity, led by Priyanka Goonetilleke and Alex Knorre, is a comprehensive study of the world's largest darknet market, Hydra. The article provides key insights and lessons learned from the analysis of this platform, which remained a leading player in the shadow internet arena until its closure in April 2022.
A distinctive feature of Hydra was the delivery system through the so-called "dead bookmarks", which, despite its effectiveness, significantly increased the final cost of prohibited substances. In addition, the platform used advanced feedback and reputation mechanisms, which contributed to the formation of trust between users.
Hydra's closure sheds light on the complexities of anti-shadow market policies. On the one hand, the existence of such platforms contributes to the digitalization of the drug trade, reducing the visibility of trade and potentially increasing the availability of prohibited substances. On the other hand, the closure of large markets leads to increased competition among new platforms and may encourage the development of more aggressive competition methods, including hacker attacks.
In April 2022, the US Department of Justice announced the closure of Hydra Market, noting that in 2021, Hydra participated in approximately 80% of all transactions related to dark markets, and since 2015, about $ 5.2 billion in cryptocurrency has been received on the platform. Together with the German Federal Criminal Police (Bundeskriminalamt), Hydra servers and crypto wallets containing $ 25 million worth of bitcoins were seized.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland expressed the determination of justice to pursue lawbreakers, regardless of their location, and stressed the importance of international cooperation in the fight against dark markets. Hydra operated as an online marketplace for criminal transactions, including the sale of illegal drugs, stolen financial information, forged documents, and money laundering and cryptocurrency mixing services. As part of Hydra's closure, criminal charges were filed against Dmitry Olegovich Pavlov, a 30-year-old resident of Russia, for conspiracy to distribute drugs and conspiracy to launder money.
DEA administrator Ann Milgram said the dark market was a key location for the sale of deadly drugs around the world, and Hydra posed a threat to public safety and health. The Hydra platform allowed sellers to advertise their illegal products, and buyers rated sellers and their products on a five-star system. Hydra also sold fake documents and offered hacking and money laundering services.
It is important to note that Hydra not only offered a wide range of narcotic substances, but also implemented its own quality control methods and even provided medical advice. This highlights the possibility of self-regulation in large markets and opens up a discussion about the balance between combating drug trafficking and reducing the risks and harms associated with it.
The study concludes with the need for an in-depth analysis of the consequences of the policy of closing shadow markets and a review of approaches to drug policy in general, given the complex impact of such markets on society and state security.
