The U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on Iranian national Behrouz Parsarad, accusing him of operating the darknet marketplace Nemesis. The decision comes nearly a year after the platform was dismantled in an international law enforcement operation. Parsarad not only managed Nemesis but also attempted to establish a new marketplace to continue his illicit activities.
Founded in 2021, Nemesis had amassed over 150,000 users by the time it was shut down. Nearly 20% of the marketplace’s 1,100 vendors were based in Germany. The platform facilitated the trade of a vast array of illegal goods, including narcotics, stolen data, forged documents, and cybercriminal services such as malware distribution, phishing campaigns, and DDoS attacks.
Estimates indicate that between 2021 and 2024, Nemesis facilitated the sale of narcotics worth approximately $30 million. Parsarad maintained full control over the marketplace’s virtual wallets, profiting from transaction fees while also taking a share of laundered cryptocurrency.
Following the platform’s takedown, Parsarad reportedly engaged in discussions with former vendors about launching a successor darknet market. As part of the sanctions, authorities have identified 49 blockchain addresses used for storing and laundering illicit proceeds.
