Agents acting under the purview of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have arrested more than 35 criminals by posing as cryptocurrency traders on the darknet, according to a DOJ release published yesterday, June 26.
Officials also seized more than $23.6 million in criminal gains.
The DOJ release states that Special Agents of the New York HSI division, along with the Southern NYC District U.S. Attorney’s Office, participated in the year-long undercover operation which involved posing as crypto traders that intended to launder fiat for crypto on the darknet.
The investigation, which resulted in 90 active cases, was carried out in collaboration with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Secret Service, the Postal Inspection Service, and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
The DOJ has also concerned itself with wider reaching crypto matters, as they opened a criminal investigation into Bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH) price manipulation at the end of May.
The U. S. Department of Justice, in cooperation with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Secret Service (USSS), the Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), have apprehended more than 35 dark web drugs and arms dealers in a nation-wide bust.