Iranian National Indicted for Operating Global Dark Web Marketplace Offering Fentanyl & Money Laundering Services

Nemesis Market Linked to Over 400,000 Illicit Transactions and $30 Million in Drug Sales

A federal grand jury in the United States has indicted Iranian national Behrouz Parsarad, 36, for operating Nemesis Market, a sprawling dark web platform facilitating the sale of illegal drugs, counterfeit goods, and cybercrime services. The Department of Justice (DoJ) has charged Parsarad with drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies following an extensive multi-agency and international investigation.

Launched in March 2021, Nemesis Market rapidly grew into one of the most notorious darknet marketplaces, boasting over 150,000 users and 1,100 vendors. In just three years, the marketplace processed more than 400,000 transactions, many of which involved potent synthetic opioids including fentanyl, heroin, and protonitazene — substances linked to thousands of overdose deaths worldwide.

Marketplace of Death: A Hub for Dangerous Drugs, Cybercrime & Money Laundering

The indictment details the sale of approximately 55,000 stimulant orders (methamphetamine, cocaine, and related substances) and 17,000 opioid orders, many of which were shipped to US buyers. Government agents conducted covert purchases on Nemesis, with laboratory analysis confirming the presence of fentanyl and other Schedule I and II controlled substances.

According to US officials, Parsarad also offered money laundering services, masking the illicit origin of funds through cryptocurrency mixing tools. All transactions were conducted in digital currencies to avoid detection, with Nemesis explicitly banning the use of government-issued legal tender.

Global Collaboration Leads to Marketplace Takedown

On 20 March 2024, US authorities, working closely with partners in Germany and Lithuania, seized Nemesis Market’s infrastructure. The operation successfully disrupted further distribution of narcotics and dismantled what US authorities described as a “borderless powerhouse of criminal activity.” In March 2025, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on Parsarad, linking the platform to $30 million in illegal drug sales between 2021 and 2024.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the DoJ’s Criminal Division, stated:

This case demonstrates the Department’s tireless commitment to protecting communities from the harms caused by fentanyl and darknet marketplaces. We will pursue those who endanger lives, no matter where they operate from.

Charges & Legal Proceedings

Parsarad faces charges of:

• Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances

• Distribution of controlled substances

• Money laundering conspiracy

If convicted, he could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

The investigation was led by the FBI Cleveland Division, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The case was coordinated through the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) initiative, which unites federal law enforcement and cybersecurity agencies.

Significant contributions were also made by authorities from the British Virgin Islands, Germany, Lithuania, Türkiye, and US prosecutors from multiple jurisdictions, including the Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Illinois, and District of Massachusetts.

A Landmark Case in the Fight Against Digital Drug Trafficking

This indictment marks a critical milestone in global efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis and the digitalisation of organised crime. It reinforces the necessity of cross-border collaboration in dismantling darknet platforms that facilitate drug trafficking and financial crime at scale.

The Department of Justice reaffirms that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Read the press release here.