To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if a Russian criminal gang/the mafia tried to set up one of these marketplaces themselves. Seems like they'd be much safer from being shut down/arrested by the US authorities than anyone trying to keep their opsec good in a US friendly country.
Honestly, I'm kind of surprised that so many darknet markets turned out to be run by amateur technies in the US or Western Europe rather than actual criminal gangs.
Honestly, I'm kind of surprised that so many darknet markets turned out to be run by amateur technies in the US or Western Europe rather than actual criminal gangs.