LOC22:37
19:37 GMT
BRUSSELS, May 29 (KUNA) -- Law enforcement agencies from 28 countries across the globe met at Europol headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands, Tuesday to share knowledge and expertise and discuss a coordinated approach to tackling crime on the dark web.
The dark web hosts many of the more critical marketplaces for several criminal organisations and individual illegal activities in Europe and around the world, said an Europol press release.
Chief Commissioner Ivaylo Spiridonov, Director of the Bulgarian General Directorate Combatting Organised Crime, delivered the opening remarks on behalf of the current Presidency of the Council of the EU, and highlighted that "Today's expert assembly will further enhance the law enforcement's ability to find sustainable solutions and a common coordinated approach to respond to criminality on the dark web.
"The event also marks the official launch of the new Europol Dark Web Team which will provide operational and technical support to law enforcement in thwarting criminality on the dark web in a coordinated and multidisciplinary manner," added Catherine De Bolle, Executive Director of Europol.
Due to its structural specificities, the possibility to buy and sell anonymously and the fact that it is a digital space that knows no national borders, it is a fertile environment for criminals.
In recent years several successful coordinated investigations were able to take down some of the largest dark web markets.
In particular, in summer 2017 joint operations led by the US FBI and the Dutch National Police, with the support of Europol and other law enforcement partners, shut down Alphabay and Hansa, two of the largest marketplaces responsible for the trading of over 350,000 illicit goods like drugs, firearms and cybercrime tools, such as malware.
Owing to the success of these operations, the volume of transactions has decreased and some traders have left the dark web platform.
One of Europol's initiatives is to create a coordinated law enforcement approach to tackle crime on the dark web with the participation of law enforcement agencies from across EU Member States as well as non-EU countries.
In order to achieve this goal, Europol has established a dedicated Dark Web Team to work together with EU partners and law enforcement globally to reduce the size of this underground illegal economy, the Europol statement said. (end)
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