Hansa Market
Seized by Dutch Police (covert operation)Active 2015–2017
What Happened
Hansa's takedown was a masterclass in operational intelligence. Dutch National Police took covert control of Hansa on June 20, 2017 — a month before the public shutdown. During this period, they modified the site to collect plaintext passwords when users logged in (bypassing password hashing), harvest shipping addresses, and identify 10,000+ buyers. The timing was deliberate: following AlphaBay's seizure, Hansa saw a massive influx of users. All of them walked into a law enforcement honeypot.
Key Lessons
- After a major market falls, don't rush to alternatives
- Operators can be replaced while a site stays online
- Shipping addresses submitted to any market may be in LE hands