Dutch police pull plug on dark net marketplace Utopia
An underground website on the so-called dark net, where illicit goods and activities such as drugs, guns and assassination contracts can be bought and sold, has been shut down just days after its launch following a police sting.
The Silk Road successor came unstuck after a Dutch undercover officer was offered cash to carry out an assassination, leading the authorities to shut down the sites Germany based servers and arrest five individuals.
Computer equipment and £270k worth of bitcoins were also retrieved.
Around 13,000 listings were visible on the site at any one time during its peak but anyone seeking any nefarious profit or services today will simply be presented with a curt official message ‘This hidden service has been seized, by the Dutch National Police.’
Dutch police were said to be ‘astonished’ after they acquired ecstasy and cocaine from the website – as well as being offered a down payment on a contract killing.