Police in Seoul, South Korea, have detained 178 individuals on suspicion of using cryptocurrencies to purchase and sell illegal substances online.
According to JTBC, Seoul Metropolitan Police officers said that they had apprehended 12 suspected drug sellers and 166 of their claimed clients, all of whom had used darknet sites and cryptocurrency payments.
The authorities also reported seizing tokens, around USD 8,500 in cash, 12kg of marijuana, and considerable quantities of synthetic cannabinoids, ketamine, and MDMA.
A number of the drug purchases seem to have been made in bitcoin (BTC), and the great majority of accused drug purchasers were characterized as being in their 20s and 30s, with a few persons in their 40s and 50s.
The detectives said that all of the suspects had used a dark web portal that let would-be dealers post for free but charged a 10% fee on all transactions – which were paid for in cryptocurrency and conducted via the platform. The dealers have been identified, but the operators of the dark web portal have so far evaded detection.
According to police officials, the platform’s combination of dark web technologies, crypto assets, and chat systems such as Telegram made it a natural option for younger folks and less appealing to older ones.
South Korea, like many other East Asian countries, has exceptionally severe drug regulations. Recently, the police department formed the Darkweb and Cryptosset Special Investigation Team.
Additionally, officers claimed that they suspect certain dark web-related persons may have ties to some of Seoul’s biggest nightclubs.
According to Newsis, a spokeswoman vowed to “identify darkweb operators” and “extend” the police’s “probe” – in addition to investigating “whether or not these operators are affiliated with prominent clubs and entertainment venues in Seoul.”
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