The RCMP has charged seven people in connection with what it calls one of the largest dark web drug trafficking networks ever uncovered in Canada. The arrests, announced Thursday, stemmed from an international probe that began after German authorities shut down a dark web marketplace and flagged several Canadian-based accounts tied to drug distribution.
Investigators traced the activity to an alleged vendor operating under the name “RoadRunna,” which police described as a sophisticated criminal operation using encrypted platforms to sell and ship drugs nationwide. At its peak, the network was allegedly responsible for sending around 400 packages of narcotics across Canada every week.
Search warrants carried out across the Greater Toronto Area led to the arrests of suspects aged 30 to 46, along with the seizure of 75 kilograms of narcotics, 10,000 prescription and non-prescription pills, and extensive drug distribution materials.
Police say dark web drug sales rely heavily on cryptocurrency to mask identities and financial trails, while exploiting mail services to move products quickly and discreetly.
Insp. Nicole Noonan credited both international partners and Canadian police agencies for their role in dismantling the network. “Criminals are finding increasingly sophisticated and modern ways to evade the law, but we will continue to identify, disrupt, and dismantle these types of networks,” she said.
The case underscores the growing use of encrypted online markets to facilitate illegal drug trafficking, and the scale at which a single dark web vendor can impact communities across the country.