# FBI's Operation Dark HunTor nets 150 arrests

Published: 2021-10-26 · Severity: low
Canonical: https://vorant.io/reports/522b0cfd-61d2-5b9b-8720-06383fc3ea86/fbi-s-operation-dark-huntor-nets-150-arrests

> FBI-led JCODE task force and international partners seized $31.6M and 234kg of drugs, arresting 150 people tied to darknet drug marketplaces.

The FBI's Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team, alongside domestic agencies (USPIS, HSI, DEA, IRS, ATF) and international partners including Europol, conducted Operation Dark HunTor, a coordinated global crackdown on darknet drug marketplaces. The operation resulted in 150 arrests worldwide (65 in the U.S.), the seizure of over $31.6 million in cash and cryptocurrency, and approximately 234 kilograms of drugs, including counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl.

The article highlights how darknet markets mimic legitimate e-commerce sites—complete with reviews and product listings—to sell illicit and counterfeit pharmaceuticals, often pressed with lethal doses of fentanyl. Investigators note a shift in the profile of dealers, describing a new generation of tech-savvy, college-educated traffickers who leverage cryptocurrency and increasingly operate across encrypted apps and mainstream social media platforms rather than relying solely on Tor-based markets. This diversification is complicating law enforcement's ability to track and disrupt the trade.

This is a law-enforcement operational report rather than a cybersecurity vulnerability or malware disclosure. There is no associated malware, CVE, or specific threat actor group with a cyber-nexus profile; the piece documents drug trafficking facilitated by darknet infrastructure and cryptocurrency payments, an area of overlap between cybercrime enablement and traditional narcotics distribution.

## Mentioned in this report

- Campaigns: Operation Dark HunTor

Source reporting: https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/fbi-and-partners-target-online-drug-markets-102621

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