2 vendors selling heroin & cocaine out of New York (Area51 and DarkApollo) using terrible opsec have been taken down hard by an interesting entity referred to as the Central California Darknet Strike Force.
Central California Darknet Strike Force, a task force consisting of multiple agencies, is primarily responsible for this investigation; they exist to combat narcotic trafficking and money laundering on the darknet marketplaces. The lead agency involved in the case was the DEA, but U.S. Immigration and Customs, Homeland Security, the IRS, and the United States Postal Inspection Service all played a role in the take-down. The case is being prosecuted by assistant United States Attorneys Grant B. Rabenn and Jeffrey Spivak.
Under federal drug trafficking laws, if convicted, Almashwali and Farooq could each be facing 20 years in a federal prison and a $1 million dollar fine. They are currently awaiting transfer to the Eastern District of California where they will be held while awaiting sentencing.
If you were purchasing from either of these guys, stop immediately. At the time of this article, their AlphaBay profiles are still active, as well as a couple on other markets. Do NOT buy from Area51 or DarkApollo under any circumstances.
PDF LINK TO INDICTMENT:
http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=09174389604905975048
Are they for real...?