Germany arrests 2 Japanese, 1 American in darknet drug case

BERLIN – German prosecutors say authorities have arrested two Japanese citizens and an American on suspicion of selling millions of euros worth of drugs online.

Frankfurt prosecutors say a 43-year-old Japanese man, a 40-year-old Japanese woman and a 39-year-old man from the U.S. were arrested late Thursday in Berlin. Their names weren’t released.

In a statement Friday, prosecutors said the suspects were part of a gang that sold cocaine, cannabis and Ecstasy on darknet websites, which aren’t visible without special software.

Prosecutors say the three suspects and a 38-year-old Japanese woman who’s still on the run received at least 2.3 million euros ($2.51 million) from the sale of drugs online since September 2012.

Authorities seized several kilograms of illegal drugs during their search of five Berlin apartments.