Internet>> CONTRABAND TRADE • The Netherlands
The Dutch police have taken down a website used to sell illegal drugs, including cocaine and steroids, hacking tools and weapons. Utopia, launched in early February, was the latest site aiming to replace Silk Road, a “dark net” market taken down by the US FBI in October.
Utopia’s launch was first reported by news site DeepDotWeb. It posted screenshots showing Utopia describing itself as “a bright star in the shadows of the darknet”. According to BBC, Utopia quoted prices in euros, but purchases could by made via the virtual currency Bitcoin to help keep transactions anonymous. The number of listings had grown to over 13,000 when the site became inaccessible within a week of its launch.
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