 |
Deep Dive: Exploring Organized CrimeStories from the global underworld Author: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime
Twice winner of the 'Best Deep Dive Podcast' at the Publishers Podcast Awards, shortlisted four times for 'Best Investigative Podcast' and once for 'Best Video Podcast'. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime brings you stories and investigations from the global criminal underworld. The topics covered by Deep Dive are far ranging, one episode could be looking at a hybrid paramilitary organized criminal cartel; the next could be the dismantling of an encrypted communications network; or the use of complex corporate structures to hide illicit activity; or the role organized crime has in the recycling industry. This podcast series demonstrates the wide ranging investigations and research carried out by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Language: en Genres: News, News Commentary, True Crime Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
Dethroning BigBoss: The Fall of Archetyp | Deep Dive: Exploring Organized Crime
Episode 5
Monday, 29 September, 2025
Inspired by the ethos of Silk Road and the lifespans of Agora and Dream Market, a new player emerged from the shadows of Tor in 2020: Archetyp. Built on promises of security, usability, and “ethical” standards, the marketplace steadily grew while rivals rose and fell. By 2025 it served ≈ 600 000 users, ≈ 3 000 vendors, and had moved ≈ €250 million in illicit transactions.We trace the founder—known as “Yoshi” (BigBossChefOfArchetyp)—and his obsessive focus on operational security. Archetyp required Monero‑only payments, leveraged PGP encryption, offered auto‑encryption of shipping data, ran an anti‑phishing sandbox (“jail”), and used rotating Tor mirrors to stay online.Beyond the tech, the market stood out for its sleek UI, step‑by‑step guides, powerful search filters, and even built‑in games—making it the “beauty queen” of darknet markets.Relentless DDoS attacks smothered Archetyp’s fifth‑birthday celebration. Shortly afterward, Yoshi vanished from the forums and an ominous “maintenance” screen replaced the home page—blank and static. A few days later a graphic‑novel‑style video surfaced online, announcing that the market had been seized.Operation Deep Sentinel—a coordinated sweep led by Germany’s BKA and backed by Europol, Eurojust, Dutch, Spanish, Romanian, Swedish, and U.S. agencies—hit in June 2025. Within days the Dutch data centre was seized, a 30‑year‑old German administrator was arrested in Barcelona, and €7.8 million in cash, crypto and hardware vanished into police evidence lockers.As the front page flickered to a seizure banner, frantic posts flooded the Dread forum. The darknet community, hardened by previous busts, scattered—but the question remains: Can law enforcement ever stay ahead of the ever‑evolving dark‑web trade?Speakers:Sarah Fares, Analyst at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.Louise Ferret, Lead Threat Intelligence Analyst at Searchlight Cyber.Article:An Archetypal drug market: Despite the dismantling of dark web drug market Archetyp, illicit marketplaces reassemble faster than they fallAdditional Links:Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeSearchlight CyberResearch...
