Police operation closes down illegal “dark web” sites

AlphaBay and Hansa, two of the largest illegal internet marketplaces on the dark side of the internet, have been closed after a police crackdown involving also Slovakia, the Pravda daily reported on Tuesday. AlphaBay and Hansa were offering weapons, drugs, forged ID cards and hacker guides. The police operation included 37 European countries, including Slovakia, Europol and the FBI. Daniel Olejar, an expert on cyber security from the Comenius University in Bratislava, described the operation's result as excellent. "Considering the extent of the system and its sophistication, it's an extraordinary operation. What I appreciate the most is that they were able to do it without the knowledge of the users," said Olejar.