The U.S. Department of the Treasury has intensified its global campaign against darknet-facilitated drug trafficking by sanctioning Behrouz Parsarad, the Iran-based administrator of the notorious Nemesis Marketplace.
The move, announced on March 5, 2025, follows a 2024 international law enforcement operation that dismantled the platform, which enabled over $30 million in illicit drug sales—including synthetic opioids like fentanyl—to customers worldwide.
Parsarad, identified as the sole operator of Nemesis, now faces severe financial restrictions under Executive Order 14059, which targets narcotics proliferation networks.
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A Coordinated Strike Against Digital Crime
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) collaborated with the FBI-led Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team and European agencies to sanction Parsarad, marking OFAC’s inaugural action as a JCODE member.
Acting Under Secretary Bradley T. Smith emphasized that “Parsarad sought to build—and continues to try to re-establish—a safe haven for narcotics trafficking,” underscoring the government’s resolve to disrupt such platforms.
Nemesis operated from 2021 until its March 2024 takedown, serving 30,000 users and 1,000 vendors who traded drugs, counterfeit documents, and hacking services.
Parsarad profited through transaction fees and money laundering via cryptocurrency wallets, amassing millions before U.S., German, and Lithuanian authorities seized its servers.
Despite the shutdown, intelligence suggests Parsarad has sought to rebuild the marketplace, prompting OFAC to expose 49 cryptocurrency addresses linked to his operations.
The Fentanyl Pipeline and Darknet Role
OFAC’s action highlights the darknet’s growing role in synthetic opioid distribution. A June 2024 Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) advisory warned that platforms like Nemesis enable cartels to traffic precursor chemicals and equipment for fentanyl production.
Vendors openly sold fentanyl-laced substances, exacerbating the U.S. overdose crisis.
Parsarad’s Iran-based operations complicated enforcement, reflecting broader challenges in curbing offshore darknet hubs.
The Treasury noted parallels to prior actions against Hydra Market (2022) and Genesis Market (2023), which similarly exploited cryptocurrency anonymity.
Under the sanctions, all Parsarad-linked assets in U.S. jurisdictions are frozen, and transactions with him by American entities are prohibited.
Foreign entities aiding his activities risk secondary sanctions, signaling expanded extraterritorial reach.
The designation underscores the U.S. strategy to combine law enforcement takedowns with financial pressure.
IRS Criminal Investigation Chief Jim Lee affirmed that targeting “the financial infrastructure of darknet markets” is critical to disrupting opioid supply chains.
While Nemesis’ shutdown disrupted a major narcotics hub, experts warn that administrators often resurface.
Parsarad’s attempts to relaunch the platform reflect darknet markets’ resilience, driven by demand for anonymous transactions.
However, OFAC’s focus on cryptocurrency trails—a tactic refined in recent years—aims to erode operators’ financial foundations.
The Treasury urges vigilance among financial institutions in monitoring crypto transactions tied to the 49 flagged addresses.
Meanwhile, international coordination remains pivotal, as evidenced by European agencies’ role in the Nemesis operation.
This sanctions regime signals a shift toward systematic targeting of darknet ecosystems, merging cyber-policing with financial warfare.
As synthetic opioids claim over 70,000 U.S. lives annually, closing digital loopholes has become urgent.
While Parsarad’s case sets a precedent, the evolving sophistication of darknet platforms ensures this battle will persist—on servers and in blockchain ledgers alike.
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