The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Behrouz Parsarad, who is accused of running the Nemesis darknet marketplace, which was used to sell drugs, fake documents and cybercrime services. This comes a year after the platform was taken down in an international special operation.
According to the US Treasury Department, Parsarad had full control over Nemesis, including its cryptocurrency wallets. The platform was operational since 2021 and had more than 150,000 users before it was shut down in 2024. About 20% of the sellers were based in Germany.
Nemesis was used to sell:
According to the investigation, after the liquidation of Nemesis, Parsarad tried to create a new darknet site, attracting former sellers. The US also froze 49 cryptocurrency addresses that were used for money laundering via the blockchain.
The destruction of Nemesis is part of a global campaign to eliminate darknet markets. In recent years, law enforcement agencies have uncovered such criminal platforms as Genesis, Hydra, Sipultie, Bohemia, Empire, xDedic, Kingdom, Piilopuoti, etc. This is the first time that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions under the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement Team program, which is led by the FBI.
Governments of various countries are stepping up the fight against darknet markets, as they are used not only for drug trafficking, but also for cybercrime. The elimination of Nemesis is part of a broader strategy aimed at minimizing criminals’ access to illegal marketplaces and limiting the financing of cybercriminal groups.
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