Feds shut down dozens of dark market sites

by Cory Bennett - 11/07/14 9:56 AM ET

The infamous Silk Road 2 wasn’t the only black market shut down by the FBI this week.

Dozens more dark websites have gone down in the last day, and the FBI is expected to reveal the complete results of its efforts on Friday.

{mosads}According to multiple reports, other popular dark Web drug markets such as Hydra and Cloud 9 are now inaccessible, instead displaying a banner declaring, “This Hidden Site Has Been Seized,” next to the FBI logo.

It’s the same notice that appeared on Silk Road 2 yesterday.

An FBI representative confirmed to Wired the agency will announce Friday more than three additional seizures on the dark net. USA Today reports the sting included dozens of sites.

The FBI has been working with European authorities on its investigation. Thursday, the authorities arrested three people — one in San Francisco and two in Dublin — in connection with Silk Road 2.

The underground market reportedly made as much as $8 million in drug sales each month. As part of its operation, dubbed “Onymous,” the government bought heroin, cocaine, LSD and oxycodone off the site.

According to a report from the Digital Citizens Alliance, Silk Road 2 had 12,350 drug listings. By comparison, Cloud 9 had 1,617 and Hydra had 1,151.

The second and third largest dark net drug markets — Agora and Evolution — remained up as of Friday morning, Wired reported.

Tags cybersecurity Federal Bureau of Investigation Silk Road