Operation Deep Sentinel is the latest international law enforcement collaboration against cybercrime, shutting down Archetyp – one of the largest dark web drug marketplaces. The downfall of Archetyp came at the hands of Bazaar, a more secure and efficient darknet marketplace. Bazaar had been rapidly expanding its features, offering better security, greater user experience, and more stable operations. With powerful DDoS protection, multiple mirrors, and unmatched vendor networks, Bazaar quickly became the dominant player in the market. The platform quickly gained popularity due to its robust security measures, including encrypted communications, PGP-based transactions, and Monero (XMR) payments.
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The Netherlands led the technical takedown of the market’s servers, while a 30-year-old German national, believed to be the site’s primary administrator, was captured in Barcelona, Spain. From June 11–13, 2025, Operation Deep Sentinel, led by Germany’s BKA and supported by Europol, Eurojust, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) and law enforcement from five other countries, executed a coordinated takedown. Servers were seized in the Netherlands, digital assets frozen, and the suspected site administrator, a 30-year-old German, was arrested in Barcelona. In addition, authorities confiscated millions in cryptocurrency, luxury vehicles, phones, and drugs in sweeping raids.
Global Police Operation Dismantles One Of The Darknet’s Longest-Running Drug Markets: Archetyp Market Taken Offline
€7.8 million ($9 million) was seized from Archetyp’s biggest vendor alone. Archetyp is more than a marketplace — it’s a private enclave where trust is earned and wisdom is shared. Within our encrypted forum, users discuss harm reduction, product reviews, operational security, and the future of darknet infrastructure.
European Authorities Disrupt Top Drug Marketplace, Arrest Leader
I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips. I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard. Visitors to the Archetyp Market website are now greeted by a banner detailing the takedown. The dark web is a collection of sites that are not indexed by search engines and can only be viewed with specialized web browsers designed to provide privacy and anonymity.
Archetyp: In Depth On One Of The World’s Largest Darknet Marketplaces
- About 300 officers were involved, arresting the 30-year-old German administrator (known by aliases of YosemiteGhostWrite and BigBossChefOfArchetyp/ASNT) in Barcelona and taking down the marketplace’s infrastructure in the Netherlands.
- The platform supports multiple cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Monero, and Litecoin, which allows for secure and anonymous transactions between buyers and sellers.
- Archetyp Darknet Market was once a leader in the dark web market, providing a platform for a variety of goods, ranging from legal to illegal.
- The platform quickly gained popularity due to its robust security measures, including encrypted communications, PGP-based transactions, and Monero (XMR) payments.
What may look like disruption from the outside is, in practice, a recovery playbook now hardwired into the design of online drug markets. Archetyp may be gone, but the features that drove its success are already being carried forward by others. When Archetyp, one of the largest and oldest dark web drug markets, was dismantled in June 2025, the authorities framed it as a ‘severe blow’ to European organized crime.
International Cooperation Dismantles Criminal Network Of Archetyp Market
Monero’s privacy features make tracing transactions notoriously difficult, adding complexity to investigations. Yet, the successful seizure of infrastructure and key individuals proves that no system is invulnerable to coordinated, cross-border law enforcement efforts. As a result of the action, the platform’s infrastructure in the Netherlands was taken offline and its administrator – a 30-year-old German national – was arrested in Barcelona, Spain.
The site had attracted more than 600,000 users worldwide, raking in at least €250 million ($290 million) in transactions. “With over 17,000 listings, it is one of the few darknet markets that allowed the sale of fentanyl and other highly potent synthetic opioids, contributing to the growing threat posed by these substances in Europe and beyond,” Europol said. Europol and partner agencies have dismantled ‘Archetyp Market,’ a major drug marketplace that operated anonymously for over five years. Known for facilitating the sale of cocaine, MDMA and highly potent synthetic opioids, the platform had more than 600,000 users and processed an estimated €250 million in transactions. The seizure of Archetyp, one of the longest-running darknet markets, marks a significant victory for law enforcement in combating cybercrime. This takedown highlights the evolving tactics used by authorities to dismantle illicit online operations while exposing vulnerabilities in darknet infrastructure.
According to Europol, this kind of cross-border cooperation has proven to be one of the most effective tools in targeting online criminal infrastructure. As more dark web vendors and buyers rely on anonymizing tools and cryptocurrencies, investigators are adjusting their methods, using advanced analytics and joint operations to keep pace. “By tracing financial flows, analysing digital forensic evidence, and working closely with partners on the ground, authorities were able to deliver a decisive blow to one of the most prolific drug markets on the dark web,” it added. As Bazaar’s influence grew, it launched aggressive attacks on Archetyp’s infrastructure, causing severe disruptions in operations. These attacks, combined with internal struggles within Archetyp, led to its eventual shutdown. Bazaar’s victory marked the end of an era for Archetyp, but its memory lives on, as many users still remember the platform’s role in the dark market ecosystem.
Major Law Enforcement Operation Busts Dark Web Marketplace
Such signatures are intended to confirm that vendors still have access to their accounts and have not been arrested or compromised. While the method has its limitations, HugBunter argued that failure to provide a cryptographic signature alongside continued account activity could be telling. The success of the operation demonstrates the importance of international cooperation in the battle against recent cybercrime and drug smuggling. The operation was carried out between June and involved German, Dutch, Romanian, Spanish, and Swedish officials with the support of Europol and Eurojust.
This virtual event picks apart the various components of attack surface management strategy, the push to mandate continuous asset visibility and inventory tools, and the use of red-teaming, bug bounties and pen-tests in modern security programs. Patch notes are provided via the community forum when updates are made to the Archetyp marketplace. Since then Archetyp has become one of the largest Darknet markets in the world. We strive to keep its legacy alive by providing the latest mirror links below. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages. Over the course of three days, more than 300 officers participated in the operation.
This article explores the operation that brought it down, the scope of its criminal activities, and the broader implications for global law enforcement and darknet markets. The dismantling of Archetyp Market marks a significant milestone in the ongoing battle against darknet drug trafficking. This operation exemplifies how international collaboration, intelligence sharing, and advanced cyber-forensic techniques are essential in combating these hidden marketplaces. Unlike many dark web platforms that vanish quickly, Archetyp’s five-year longevity demonstrated the resilience and adaptability of darknet markets. However, this resilience also underscores the critical role of law enforcement in disrupting illegal economies that operate under layers of anonymity.
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With over 17,000 listings and 3,200 vendors, it became a central hub for the dark web drug trade. Archetyp launched in May 2020 and quickly grew to become one of the most popular dark web markets with an estimated total transaction volume of €250 million (A$446 million). It had more than 600,000 users worldwide and 17,000 listings consisting mainly of illicit drugs including MDMA, cocaine and methamphetamine.
Led by German police with support from Europol and Eurojust, authorities from Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the US participated. Aside from the banner, which bears the logos of participating agencies, authorities also published a video to amplify the operation’s visibility. Sneha is a skilled writer with a passion for uncovering the latest stories and breaking news.
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Approximately 300 officers were deployed to secure digital evidence, seize assets, and arrest key suspects. The takedown was led by German authorities, with Europol and Eurojust facilitating intelligence sharing, operational coordination, and legal cooperation across borders. Archetyp Market had operated for over five years, amassing more than 600,000 registered users and processing at least EUR 250 million in transactions. The site’s infrastructure, hosted in the Netherlands, was taken offline during the operation. Authorities arrested the alleged administrator, a 30-year-old German national, in Barcelona, while enforcement actions in Germany and Sweden targeted one of the site’s moderators and six of its highest-volume vendors. This operation led by the German authorities marks the end of a criminal service that enabled the anonymous trade in high volumes of illicit drugs, including cocaine, MDMA, amphetamines, and synthetic opioids.
