Operators of online drug ring arrested in global sweep

17.04.2012
The alleged ringleader of an online marketplace for illegal drugs was arrested Monday in Lelystad, Netherlands, capping two days of arrests and the indictment of eight men on federal drug trafficking and money laundering charges.

The men, who range in age from 20 to 51, are charged with creating and operating an underground online narcotics exchange called the The Farmer's Market, which authorities said sold illegal drugs, including LSD, mescaline and ketamine, to 3,000 customers. According to the indictment, there were buyers in every U.S. state and in 34 other countries.

The accused reportedly facilitated drug transactions between independent suppliers and individual buyers. The men provided an online storefront, order forms, payment options including PayPal and Western Union, according to the Department of Justice. The cybercriminals also screened the drugs for quality and provided customer service. They kept a cut of each sale.

The ring allegedly used the anonymizing system TOR to evade detection.

The operators, suppliers, and customers primarily communicated with one another on the Farmer's Market website using internal private messaging.

Six of the eight men charged with participating in the cybercrime ring are U.S. citizens living in the United States. Michael Evron, 42, who was arrested attempting to leave Colombia, is a U.S. citizen but lives in Argentina. Marc Willems, 42, the alleged ringleader, is Dutch.