A massive blow against organized crime in the digital space: The international Operation “Deep Sentinel” has completely shut down the notorious darknet marketplace “Archetyp Market”. This was one of the world’s leading platforms for drug trafficking – anonymous, unregulated, and on a large scale.
But now it’s over: A 30-year-old German was arrested in Spain as the suspected operator. Investigators secured assets worth millions. And not just the sellers – buyers are also coming into the crosshairs of law enforcement.
What Was the Archetyp Market?
According to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), “Archetyp Market” was one of the oldest and most active darknet marketplaces worldwide. Drugs such as heroin, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine, and even fentanyl were sold on the platform – sometimes in large quantities. The platform recently had:
- 17,000 sales offers
- 612,000 registered customer accounts
- An estimated trading volume of 250 million euros
Payments were not made in euros or dollars, but with the anonymous cryptocurrency Monero, which is particularly difficult to trace.
Operation Deep Sentinel: International Cooperation
The operation took place on June 13, 2025, under the code name “Deep Sentinel”. The operation was coordinated by the BKA in close cooperation with police authorities from:
- Spain (arrest of the main suspect)
- Netherlands (seizure of servers)
- Sweden (further arrests)
- Romania (searches in Bucharest)
- as well as several federal states in Germany (including North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Lower Saxony)
Arrest in Barcelona: the Mind behind the Market
The focus of the investigators was on a 30-year-old German who is suspected of having acted as the administrator of Archetyp Market. He was arrested in his apartment in Barcelona by the Spanish National Police. In parallel, German and European authorities searched 20 other properties – including residential houses, server rooms, and hideouts of accomplices.
Items seized included:
- 8 smartphones
- 4 computers
- 34 data storage devices
- Drugs
- Cryptocurrencies
- Real Estate
- Luxury goods
The estimated value of the seized assets is 7.8 million euros.
The Role of Moderators
In addition to the administrator, so-called “moderators” are also in focus – they organized internal processes on the platform, mediated disputes between buyers and sellers, and checked content. These digital helpers usually operated anonymously and distributed worldwide – but during Operation “Deep Sentinel”, they too were unmasked.
What Awaits the Users? Buyers in the Crosshairs!
An important message from the investigators: Not only operators and sellers, but also buyers of illegal substances must now face consequences.
With the seized servers and data carriers, the BKA can now:
- Evaluate user accounts
- Trace payments
- Reconstruct delivery addresses
- Identify IP addresses
Carsten Meywirth, head of the BKA’s Cybercrime Department, announced:
“We will hold everyone accountable who was involved in this market – including on the customer side.”
Why Monero? Why Darknet?
The cryptocurrency Monero (XMR) is particularly difficult to trace, unlike Bitcoin. Transactions are encrypted, anonymized, and hardly visible to investigative authorities. Combined with encrypted access via the TOR network, the darknet enables nearly invisible marketplaces for drugs, weapons, data, and much more.
An Outlook: What’s Next?
With the shutdown of Archetyp Market, the digital underworld loses one of its most important flagships. But experts agree: The next platform will follow.
For law enforcement, the central challenges remain:
- Identifying new platforms early
- Tracking down operators and infrastructure
- Strengthening international cooperation
- Breaking through anonymization techniques
At the same time, experts are calling for more education about darknet dangers – especially for younger users who discover access to such markets through Telegram or forums.
Conclusion: a Major Victory with Signal Effect
The shutdown of the Archetyp Market is a milestone in the international fight against cyber and drug crime. The operation shows:
- No one is truly anonymous on the darknet.
- Cryptocurrencies do not protect against prosecution.
- International cooperation is the key in the digital age.
For Engelmann Software, a provider of IT security solutions, this case primarily means one thing: Security begins with understanding the threats. For example, our Forensic System software helps to secure your own system – against surveillance, espionage, and cybercrime.
