Authorities arrest two suspected operators and seize cryptocurrency.
Law enforcement in France has shut down one of the main platforms on the French-language dark web, the Dark French Anti System (DFAS).
The operation against the darknet market, which facilitated drug trafficking and arms sales, among other illegal transactions, comes after a prolonged investigation.
DFAS, a leading marketplace in the French-speaking segment of the dark web, has been taken offline by France’s police and judiciary.
The development follows several years of investigative work, the crypto news portal Journal du Coin noted in a report on Tuesday.
Two individuals have been detained during the law enforcement action, local media revealed in the past couple of days.
The authorities also seized more than 6 bitcoins (BTC), worth over €600,000 at the time (more than $700,000).
The first details about the operation were published by the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office at the end of last week.
DFAS had been active since 2017 and, over the years, evolved into a major darknet forum for organized crime in the Francophone world.
Besides drug and arms deals, the site facilitated scams and money-laundering schemes as well. It also served as an exchange for stolen personal data and anonymization tools.
Cyberdouane, the unit of the French customs’ intelligence directorate (DNRED) specialized in combating cyber trafficking, was closely monitoring the platform’s development.
In the years since launch, its membership has reached more than 12,000 users. The website published in excess of 110,000 ads and messages.
One of the people arrested on Sept. 8 is the person who created DFAS and served as its chief administrator. The other is an accomplice who helped in the testing of its services.
The two were born in 1997 and 1989, respectively, a press release posted on X. They were both brought before an investigating judge for their indictment.
The operation has been carried out in collaboration with France’s Central Office for Suppression of Major Financial Crime (OCLCIFF).
It is the latest in a series of blows dealt to similar platforms in the French darknet space, the prosecutors’ office noted.
Those already targeted include La Main Noire, in 2018, French Deep Web and Le Monde Parallèle, in 2021, and Cosa Nostra, last year.
French officials are attributing their success to their growing ability to trace activities on the dark web and confiscate illicit crypto profits.
Criminal proceeds in cryptocurrency are increasingly being targeted by qualified investigators and government agencies armed with advanced technical means, Journal du Coin noted in its report.
Forensic blockchain analysis allowed French law enforcement to identify the suspects’ wallets and freeze their assets, denying anonymity to cryptocurrency payments, the news outlet elaborated.
The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office welcomed the investments made by France’s investigative bodies in capabilities that allowed them to deal with the cyber tactics employed by criminal organizations such as DFAS.
By utilizing technical expertise in coordinated efforts, the authorities can now turn a space that was perceived as a sanctuary of anonymity into a high-risk area for offenders, concludes the article.
In recent months, France became the scene of major crypto-related crime. Multiple kidnapping attempts targeting prominent crypto figures and their families shook the French society.
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