For nearly a month in 2017, the Dutch National Police secretly operated Hansa Market as a honeypot, collecting intelligence on thousands of users. When AlphaBay went down, refugees flooded to Hansa—straight into law enforcement's waiting arms. This remains the most sophisticated darknet sting operation ever conducted.
Market Background
- Original Launch: 2015
- LE Takeover: June 20, 2017
- Public Shutdown: July 20, 2017
- Days Under LE Control: ~30
- Intelligence Collected: Massive
Before the takeover, Hansa was a mid-sized market known for its security focus and European user base. It was smaller than AlphaBay but trusted.
The Secret Takeover
How It Happened
In June 2017, Dutch police, working with German authorities, identified Hansa's administrators and infrastructure. Rather than simply seizing the site, they made a calculated decision: operate it themselves.
Perfect Timing
The coordination was exquisite. By timing AlphaBay's takedown while Hansa was compromised, law enforcement created a trap: panicked users fleeing one market ran directly into another that was already under surveillance.
Intelligence Collection
During the month of operation, Dutch police collected extraordinary amounts of data:
- 10,000+ shipping addresses - Modified image uploads to strip encryption
- Vendor IP addresses - Backend modifications captured IPs
- Password changes logged - All new passwords captured in plaintext
- Bitcoin transactions - Complete financial records
- Private messages - All communications saved
- Order details - Complete transaction histories
Technical Modifications
[MOD 1] Disabled image encryption on upload
[MOD 2] Added IP logging to vendor login
[MOD 3] Captured password changes in plaintext
[MOD 4] Saved decrypted messages server-side
[MOD 5] Tracked all Bitcoin transactions
[MOD 6] Modified reset system to capture credentials
Police Operations
Dutch officers had to actually run the market to avoid suspicion:
- Processed vendor applications
- Resolved buyer disputes
- Responded to support tickets
- Maintained uptime during DDoS attacks
- Posted announcements as "admins"
Legal Questions
The operation raised legal questions about law enforcement facilitating drug transactions. Dutch authorities argued the intelligence gathered would prevent far more harm than the transactions that occurred during the operation.
The Reveal
On July 20, 2017, law enforcement publicly announced the operation. The reveal was theatrical—designed to maximize psychological impact.
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ THIS HIDDEN SITE HAS BEEN SEIZED ║
║ ║
║ by the Dutch National Police, ║
║ in close cooperation with: ║
║ - FBI (United States) ║
║ - DEA (United States) ║
║ - Europol ║
║ ║
║ As part of OPERATION BAYONET ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════╝
"The supposed anonymity of dark markets is illusory. We can identify you. We can find you."
— Dutch Police Statement, July 2017
Aftermath
Immediate Effects
- Massive paranoia in darknet communities
- Distrust of any market surged
- Users questioned if other markets were compromised
- PGP usage increased dramatically
- Monero adoption accelerated
Arrests
The intelligence gathered led to numerous arrests across multiple countries in the months and years following, though exact numbers were never fully disclosed.
Lasting Impact
Hansa permanently changed darknet market culture. Users became more paranoid about:
- Trusting any market administrator
- Uploading unencrypted images
- Using markets right after competitors close
- Storing any data on market servers