U.S. Tracks Iran’s Shadow Millionaire Nemesis

The US Department of Finance has recently imposed sanctions against Behruz Parsarada, a citizen of Iran who is accused of managing the Nemesis darknet. This decision comes almost a year after the international special operation that led to the shutdown of the site. It has been revealed that Parsarad not only managed Nemesis but also attempted to create a new platform to continue engaging in criminal activities.

Nemesis, founded in 2021, had amassed over 150,000 users by the time of its closure. Nearly 20% of the 1,100 sellers on the marketplace were based in Germany. The darknet trading platform provided a wide array of illicit goods, including drugs, stolen data, fake documents, and cybercrime services such as the distribution of malware, phishing, and DDOS attacks.

Reports indicate that between 2021 and 2024, around $30 million worth of drugs were sold through Nemesis. Parsarad had full control over the marketplace’s virtual wallets, earning commissions from each transaction and even taking a portion of the laundered cryptocurrency.

Following the site’s shutdown, Parsarad engaged in discussions with former sellers regarding the establishment of a new darknet market. As part of the sanctions, 49 blockchain addresses used for storing and laundering criminal proceeds have been identified.