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Dark Web Drug Market Founder Indicted in U.S. for Fentanyl Trafficking and Money Laundering

Behrouz Parsarad, the alleged operator of Nemesis Market, faces charges after a global investigation led to the platform's shutdown and seizure of its servers.

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Overview

  • Behrouz Parsarad, 36, of Tehran, Iran, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for running Nemesis Market, a dark web platform facilitating illegal drug sales and cybercrime.
  • The marketplace processed over 400,000 orders between 2021 and 2024, including 55,000 stimulant transactions and 17,000 opioid transactions, with many involving deadly fentanyl mixtures.
  • U.S., German, and Lithuanian authorities collaborated to seize Nemesis Market's servers in March 2024, halting its operations and stemming the flow of drugs globally.
  • In March 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on Parsarad, estimating the platform facilitated nearly $30 million in illicit sales.
  • If convicted, Parsarad faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison for charges including drug trafficking and money laundering.