The PIILOPUOTI dark web marketplace was busted by Finnish police after a lengthy investigation.
The marketplace itself has been on the Tor network since 2022 and sold various drugs, including marijuana and narcotics. Preliminary investigations done by the Helsinki police department revealed that drugs were being smuggled into Finland from abroad.
As the search continued, international agencies including Europol, Eurojust, and law enforcement agencies in countries like Germany and Lithuania became involved.
According to the Helsinki Times, the drugs were smuggled into the country on the back of a truck and stored in a warehouse in North Helsinki. The captured haul included over 140 pounds of marijuana (roughly the equivalent of 3 million euros.)
Romanian cybersecurity company, Bitdefender, also had a hand to play in the arrests.
“This operation is a prime example of the public and private sector pooling resources and working together to disrupt illegal online activities,” Alexandru Cosoi, senior director of the Investigation and Forensics Unit at Bitdefender said to The Hacker News. “It should also serve as a wake-up call for criminals who falsely believe their infrastructures, anonymity and actions are fully protected by the dark web. We are extremely pleased that PIILOPUOTI has been seized and would like to congratulate law enforcement, Finnish Customs, and everyone involved.”
This operation is one of several that are being carried out internationally, starting with Operation Trojan Shield/Greenlight, which led to more than 800 arrests. Information from this operation led authorities to find the drug smuggling ring based in Finland.
Other investigations are being done to shut down other dark web marketplaces, like Genesis Market.
“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 said in a press report.
Since the investigation is still ongoing, any additional information they release could give the suspects chances to cover their tracks or escape justice. By maintaining airtight secrecy, Finnish authorities ensure that their actions aren’t avoided.