US shuts down illegal web marketplace; 2 Israelis charged

PITTSBURGH – The FBI has shut down a website it says was a gateway to illegal marketplaces on the darknet and announced the arrest of its two alleged Israeli operators. They are accused of making millions of dollars in kickbacks for their services.

The FBI announced the actions Wednesday in Pittsburgh. A grand jury returned indictments against the Israelis on charges of money laundering conspiracy. One of them lives in Brazil.

The website seized under court order was identified as DeepDotWeb, accessible on the darknet under a slightly different name. The darknet is part of the internet but is hosted within an encrypted network and accessible only with anonymity-providing tools.

The FBI said DeepDotWeb provided users with access to illegal marketplaces selling illegal drugs, assault rifles, hacking tools, stolen financial information and other contraband.