US sanctions Russia's largest darknet market and crypto exchange Garantex
The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has announced it will impose sanctions on darknet market Hydra and virtual currency exchange Garantex.
In a Tuesday announcement, the Treasury Department said it had worked with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations to sanction the Russia-based darknet marketplace as well as Garantex. The move from the U.S. government agencies came the same day the German Federal Criminal Police announced it had shut down Hydra’s servers in Germany and seized more than $25 million worth of Bitcoin (BTC) connected to the marketplace.
Illegaler #Darknet-Marktplatz „Hydra Market“ - die @GStA_FFM_ZIT und das #BKA haben heute Morgen die in Deutschland befindliche Serverinfrastruktur sichergestellt und abgeschaltet.Bei „Hydra Market“ handelt es sich um den mutmaßlich umsatzstärksten illegalen Marktplatz weltweit. pic.twitter.com/0jsLn2NYtu
According to the Treasury Department, the sanctions were part of an international effort aimed at “[disrupting the] proliferation of malicious cybercrime services, dangerous drugs and other illegal offerings.” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said ransomware operators and those engaging in other cybercrimes were able to operate in Russia “with impunity,” posing a potential threat to U.S. interests.
The U.S. government agency alleged Garantex had “willfully disregard[ed]” Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism requirements imposed by many regulators on virtual currency exchanges. In addition, it hinted the firm was run by individuals exhibiting a “wanton
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