Darknet, drugs, cryptocurrency, and one man at the center: U.S. authorities have charged Behrouz Parsarad with running one of the largest illegal online marketplaces. He faces life imprisonment.

🕵️‍♂️ The Allegations: Hundreds of Thousands of Illegal Transactions

According to the indictment, Iranian citizen Behrouz Parsarad allegedly operated Nemesis, a darknet marketplace that from 2021 to 2024 facilitated the sale of drugs, illicit cyber services, and other banned goods. The platform reportedly processed over 400,000 orders, with more than 13% for stimulants like cocaine and meth, and over 4% for opioids such as fentanyl and heroin.

The U.S. Department of Justice described Nemesis as a highly damaging criminal platform that significantly contributed to global drug distribution and cybercrime.

💸 Laundering Money Through Crypto

Parsarad is also accused of providing money laundering services, including cryptocurrency mixing to obscure transaction trails. He allegedly took a commission from every sale on the Nemesis platform.

U.S. Sanctions and a Life Sentence Looming

The U.S. sanctioned Parsarad in March. Before it was shut down, Nemesis had reportedly facilitated $30 million in drug sales. Parsarad now faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison — that is, if the U.S. can ever extradite him. He currently resides in Iran, a country with no extradition treaty with the U.S.

Despite this, officials say Parsarad has discussed building a new version of Nemesis. And experts question whether he worked alone.

🧑‍💻 Why Has No One Else Been Charged?

Although Parsarad is the only one indicted, cybersecurity experts say a darknet platform of this size likely required an entire team — administrators, moderators, developers, money launderers, and more.

“As seen in past takedowns like AlphaBay and Hydra,” said TRM Labs legal expert Ari Redbord, “these platforms often operate as distributed teams that maintain trust, availability, and financial systems.”

🌐 The Darknet Lives On — and Thrives

The takedown of Nemesis doesn’t mark the end of darknet operations. According to TRM Labs, 20–30 drug-focused darknet markets are active globally at any given time.

These markets tend to fall into two main ecosystems:

🔹 Russian-language markets (e.g., Blacksprut, Kraken) — highly profitable and deeply rooted in local drug economies.

🔹 Western markets (e.g., Abacus Market, STYX) — smaller but more resilient, relying on postal shipping and operating internationally.

According to Redbord, the average lifespan of a drug darknet market is two to three years, after which it’s usually abandoned or taken down by authorities.

🧨 Even though Nemesis is gone, the darknet thrives. And as long as demand for anonymous illegal trade remains, it will continue — under new names and new leadership.

#darknet , #cybercrime , #CyberSecurity , #aml , #scam

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