Kofi Anash 
Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy, Finance and Recovery and Olivier Dussopt, Minister Delegate in charge of Public Accounts, congratulated the investigating customs officers of the National Directorate of Intelligence and Customs Investigations (DNRED), who have just dismantled the “Le Monde Parallèle” platform and its illegal activities on the Darknet.
On May 17, DNRED agents carried out two home visits, in Paris and in the Metz region, following several months of investigation by the Cyberdouane service (special unit to fight against cyber crime) on the Darknet TOR aimed at identifying the administrators of the French-speaking platform ” Le Monde Parallèle “(LMP), that offered various illicit products and services (narcotics, false documents, weapons, carding, etc.).
These operations mobilized around thirty customs officers (operational, analysts and IT specialists), supported by judicial police officers from the Detached National Police Service and a police intervention squad.
The two administrators of the site were arrested and LMP’s activities were interrupted. In addition to various computer equipment, these operations made it possible to dismantle this platform and seize false documents, bank cards and prepaid cards, several thousand euros in cryptocurrency, and evidence of their illegal activities on the site.
The Cyber section of the Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation and entrusted the investigations to the Central Office for the Fight against Crime Related to Information and Communication Technologies (OCLCTIC) and to the Central Office for the Repression of irregular immigration and employment of untitled foreigners (OCRIEST).
After the dismantling by the DNRED of the “Black Hand” platforms, in 2018, and “French Deep Web Market”, in 2019, this third operation has dealt another severe blow to the French-speaking Darknet, which was very affected by the two previous operations. In particular, it should disrupt drug trafficking even more deeply using this hidden part of the net to supply the French market.
Bruno Le Maire declared: “I congratulate the agents of the DNRED for this new success against the traffickers active on the Darknet. By putting an end to the activity of the site” Le Monde Parallèle “, the customs carry the commitment of the government to fight all forms of crime including cyber delinquency which harms the French and the legal economy. ” Olivier Dussopt clarified: “This dismantling illustrates the permanent mobilization and the remarkable know-how of this administration, in particular its specialized Cyberdouane unit, to hinder this threat emanating from the darkest part of the Internet”.
