What in the World
What in the World
The takedown of one of the world’s largest online drug markets
Up next
30 July 2025
13 minutes
Available for over a year
In June 2025, a Europe-wide law enforcement operation shut down Archetyp Market, the longest-running illegal drug marketplace on the dark web. 300 officers were involved and assets worth €7.8 million were seized. It’s estimated that Archetyp had over 600,000 users worldwide, with a total transaction volume of at least €250 million, mainly offering illegal drugs for sale, like cocaine, MDMA, amphetamines and synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
BBC Cyber correspondent Joe Tidy explains how the dark web and these marketplaces work as well as what we know about how the police were able to track down Archetyp’s vendors and moderators.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: Emilia Jansson and Julia Ross-Roy
Editor: Verity Wilde
