Law enforcement agencies around the globe continue to crack down on darknet activity. Sweden's biggest marketplace, known as Flugsvamp 2.0, has been taken down in recent weeks. All "staff" associated with the marketplace has been prosecuted, but the investigation is far from over. 

The Flugsvamp 2.0 Takedown

In recent years, government agencies have taken down multiple major darknet marketplaces. The buying and selling of illicit goods and services remains a major problem. For every platform being shut down, two new seem to pop up just days later. This will remain an ongoing battle for quite some time to come.

Flugsvamp 2.0 is widely considered to be Sweden's biggest darknet marketplace. It was primarily used by buyers and vendors looking for illegal products, services, and information. Following a lengthy investigation, local police forces and Europol managed to shut it down completely.

In doing so, the agencies gain valuable information regarding active vendors and buyers. Those will likely be prosecuted in the months and years to come.  All darknet users are of great interest to law enforcement. Even the buyers may have been sellers on other marketplaces or in real life. That makes them eligible for prosecution if a case can be built against them.

Numbers-wise, most of the over 600 vendors have been identified. Even the 17,000 buyers will not be safe from scrutiny in the future. It is believed all of these users combine for over 320.00 drug-related transactions. 

Five Arrested and Bitcoin Activity

A total of five individuals associated with Flugsvamp 2.0 have been arrested and prosecuted. Despite all individuals using Tor and other anonymity-oriented measures, Swedish law enforcement officials were able to track them down. No further information regarding these methods has been provided at this time.

The alleged operator of Flugsvamp 2.0 is charged with gross and exceptionally gross offenses. Those include narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and falsification of instruments. The other four only face money laundering charges, but that situation may come to change. 

Payments made through Flugvsvamp 2.0 mainly revolve around Bitcoin. Payments are made through "advanced Bitcoin transactions and money laundering schemes". This seems to indicate that one or more crypto mixing services have been involved in laundering the proceeds.