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WORLD NEWS Saturday 4 May 2019
European, US investigators make major darknet bust

BERLIN (AP) — European Tor browser.
and American investiga- Transactions were con-
tors have broken up one ducted using cryptocurren-
of the world's largest online cies, and the suspects took
criminal marketplaces for commissions ranging from
drugs, hacking tools and fi- 2% to 6%, Ungefuk said.
nancial-theft wares a series The site trafficked docu-
of raids in the United States ments such as identity pa-
and Germany, authorities pers and drivers' licenses
said Friday. but an estimated 60% or
Three German men, ages more of the business was
31, 22 and 29, were arrest- drug-related, he said.
ed after the raids in three Authorities swept in quick-
southern states on allega- ly after the platform was
tions they operated the so- switched into a "mainte-
called "Wall Street Market" nance mode" on April 23,
darknet platform, which and the suspects allegedly
hosted some 5,400 sellers began transferring funds
and more than 1 million used on the platform to
customer accounts, Frank- themselves in a so-called
furt prosecutor Georg Un- "exit scam," Ungefuk said.
gefuk told reporters in Wies- Pieces of evidence are presented on Friday, May 3, 2019 at a press conference in Wiesbaden, The U.S. Department of Jus-
baden. Germany, about European and American investigators breaking up one of the world’s largest tice said the administrators
A Brazilian man, the site's al- online criminal trafficking operations. took approximately $11 mil-
leged moderator, was also Associated Press lion in the exit scam from
charged. escrow and user accounts.
The three Germans, iden- States with conspiring to Market recently became eration involving European The U.S. identified a fourth
tified in U.S. court docu- launder money and distrib- the world's largest darknet police agency Europol and defendant as Marcos Pau-
ments as Tibo Lousee, Jon- ute illegal drugs, accord- marketplace for contra- authorities in the Nether- lo De Oliveira-Annibale, 29,
athan Kalla and Klaus-Mar- ing to a criminal complaint band including narcotics, lands as well as the U.S. of Sao Paulo, Brazil. It was
tin Frost, face drug charges filed in Los Angeles federal hacking tools, illegal ser- and Germany, investiga- not clear if he had been
in Germany on allegations court. vices and stolen financial tors pinpointed the three arrested and federal po-
they administrated the "The charges filed in Ger- data." men as administrators of lice in Brazil wouldn't com-
platform where cocaine, many and the United Ungefuk said Wall Street the platform on the dark- ment. Brazilian authorities
heroin and other drugs, as States will significantly dis- Market was at least the net. It is part of the internet searched his home Thurs-
well as forged documents rupt the illegal sale of drugs second biggest, refusing often used by criminals that day after investigators
and other illegal material on the darknet," Assistant to name others for fear of is hosted within an encrypt- linked his online persona to
were sold. U.S. Attorney Ryan White jeopardizing other investi- ed network and accessible pictures he posted of him-
They have also been told reporters in Germany. gations. only through anonymity- self years ago, U.S. officials
charged in the United "We believe that Wall Street In the nearly two-year op- providing tools, such as the said.q

Algerians rally for 11th week to remove elite from power

By AOMAR OUALI plan to seek a fifth term in tions on their own terms
ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — an April election. He with- and a new political system
Tens of thousands of Al- drew from the face and to replace the one that
gerians rallied for an 11th canceled the vote amid was adopted when Alge-
straight week Friday to the continued protests. ria gained independence
maintain pressure on the Bouteflika, 82 and ailing, from France in 1962.
old guard in government to stepped down April 2 un- Protesters have expressed
leave office a month after der pressure from Algeria's mixed opinions about
the country's president of powerful army chief who whether army chief Ahmed
two decades was forced sided with the protesters. Gaid Salah fits their vision.
to resign. The president of the Alge- He has pressed protesters
Demonstrators waving or rian Senate, Abdelkader to follow the constitutional
wrapped in Algeria's na- Bensalah, took over as in- process for installing a new
tional flag repeated "Every- terim leader for 90 days government. Some Algeri-
one must go" and "Gang under a constitutionally ans support him. A demonstrators waves an Algerian flag during a protest in Al-
of thieves, you have ruined prescribed process. A presi- "We have to help Gaid giers, Algeria, Friday, May 3, 2019.
the country," among the dential election has been Salah. The political class Associated Press
familiar chants from the rescheduled for July 4. should answer his call for di-
weekly protests that started The political opposition and alogue to get out of this im- solve the protracted power dan will affect the protests
Feb. 22. most protesters are oppos- passe," Lakhdar Bouregaa, struggle. in coming weeks. Muslims
Crowds turned out in more ing the new election date a veteran of the war for "He's working for the power abstain from food and
than a dozen cities, ac- and the process for trans- independence in his 80s, structure," protester Louisa drink from sunrise to sunset
cording to online news site ferring power, which gives said. Yani said. "He's using his during Ramadan, slowing
TSA Algeria. roles to Bensalah and other Other citizens are skeptical (past) role as a fighter to sell the pace of life and closing
The street protests were trig- members of Bouteflika's en- Gaid Salah would help give us the roadmap of those in offices early. Some Algeri-
gered by long-time Presi- tourage. Algeria a clean start or fear power." ans said they plan to dem-
dent Abdelaziz Bouteflika's They are demanding elec- a military intervention to re- It was unclear how Rama- onstrate at night.q