The United States Department of the Treasury put sanctions on Behrouz Parsarad because he managed Nemesis darknet business until it closed. Authorities from multiple nations conduct an anti-website campaign and mark 49 digital money addresses as illegal for their connection to Parsarad.

On March 4, OFAC revealed its determination to block criminal websites when it sanctioned them. The authorities continue their fight against dark web crime by taking down the Nemesis marketplace this year.

OFAC took the same action against Hydra Market in April 2022 when it sanctioned the platform. During its shutdown operation German authorities recovered Bitcoin worth more than €23 million from Hydra.

Parsarad Linked to $30 Million Transactions

Sources found that Parsarad generated millions in fees after operating Nemesis for many years. Nemesis served as a criminal site where drug dealers and online hackers bought and sold illegal items through its built-in systems that masked their financial transactions.

The government suggests that Nemesis made more than $30 million from drug transactions between 2021 and 2024. Through the platform users could obtain fraudulent ID papers combined with cyber-hacking and cybercrime services. Managers of illegal accounts could use hackers to break into other accounts and access private information at the marketplace.

Recent findings show that Parsarad has started discussions with illegal online market sellers for starting a new darknet marketplace. Blockchain analytics experts at Chainalysis found that Parsarad connected his online transactions with other illegal marketplaces.

Evidence shows that he sent more than $12,000 through his transactions with ASAP, Incognito, and Next Generation from his darknet platforms. The Bitcoin wallets of this individual received $850,000 worth of illegal transactions and he sent $1.6 million in digital currency.

Analytical experts think Parsarad used Bitcoin price changes to increase his wealth while placing his crypto through multiple blending services to hide his transactions. Parsarad did not directly work with Iranian financial networks but his dealings with darknet marketplaces showed clear attempts at staying anonymous.

Parsarad operates his ventures discreetly because Iran imposes severe punishments and death sentences for drug crimes. The U.S. government uses latest sanctions to defend its fight against cybercriminals by targeting their financial support systems.