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The investigation is looking for everyone who used the exchangers.
The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has shut down five crypto exchanges used by darknet market organizers to convert cryptocurrency obtained from drug sales into fiat currency and launder the proceeds. Along with the exchanges, a forum associated with the drug marketplace, where illegal substances were sold and the trading platform's operations were discussed, was also shut down.
The operation was carried out by officers from the Main Directorate for Drug Control, together with investigators from the Investigative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs , all five crypto exchanges belonged to the darknet market organizer and were used to cash out and launder criminally obtained cryptocurrency.
The services employed technological solutions designed to maintain client anonymity. Despite these security measures, police obtained information on more than 185,000 cryptocurrency exchange transactions , as well as the details used by the suspected participants in the criminal scheme. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is not disclosing the total turnover of the exchanges, the list of cryptocurrencies used, or the technical methods used to reconstruct the transaction history. A darknet
forum associated with the exchange services was used not only to discuss the trading platform's operations but also to directly sell drugs. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has not named the platform or specified how long the exchange services had been operating before law enforcement intervened. Since August 2025, law enforcement has detained five moderators of the drug platform. Investigators have charged the defendants under Article 210 of the Russian Criminal Code, which establishes liability for organizing or participating in a criminal organization. The Ministry of Internal Affairs did not specify the specific charges brought against each defendant. The court remanded all five in custody. During searches, police officers seized computer equipment, documents, cash, cryptocurrency, records, and other items of evidentiary value. The investigation continues to identify the leaders and other participants of the criminal organization, including individuals who used the dismantled services.
The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has shut down five crypto exchanges used by darknet market organizers to convert cryptocurrency obtained from drug sales into fiat currency and launder the proceeds. Along with the exchanges, a forum associated with the drug marketplace, where illegal substances were sold and the trading platform's operations were discussed, was also shut down.
The operation was carried out by officers from the Main Directorate for Drug Control, together with investigators from the Investigative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs , all five crypto exchanges belonged to the darknet market organizer and were used to cash out and launder criminally obtained cryptocurrency.
The services employed technological solutions designed to maintain client anonymity. Despite these security measures, police obtained information on more than 185,000 cryptocurrency exchange transactions , as well as the details used by the suspected participants in the criminal scheme. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is not disclosing the total turnover of the exchanges, the list of cryptocurrencies used, or the technical methods used to reconstruct the transaction history. A darknet
forum associated with the exchange services was used not only to discuss the trading platform's operations but also to directly sell drugs. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has not named the platform or specified how long the exchange services had been operating before law enforcement intervened. Since August 2025, law enforcement has detained five moderators of the drug platform. Investigators have charged the defendants under Article 210 of the Russian Criminal Code, which establishes liability for organizing or participating in a criminal organization. The Ministry of Internal Affairs did not specify the specific charges brought against each defendant. The court remanded all five in custody. During searches, police officers seized computer equipment, documents, cash, cryptocurrency, records, and other items of evidentiary value. The investigation continues to identify the leaders and other participants of the criminal organization, including individuals who used the dismantled services.