Dark web marketplaces Alphabay and Hansa shut down by US government

US Justice Department officials have announced the shut down of an internet marketplace for drugs, counterfeit goods, weapons, hacking tools and other illicit items.

Two of the largest "dark web" marketplaces for illegal items including guns and drugs have been shut down by the US government, the country's Justice Department has said.

AlphaBay and Hansa, two of the largest marketplaces on the Tor network, which helps users browse the internet anonymously, have been taken offline as the result of an investigation by the US, working with police in Europe.