The new National Crime Agency (NCA) is investigating a number of UK suspects over the illegal online drugs marketplace Silk Road.
Four men were arrested last week, just hours after the suspected creator of the site was detained in the United States.
The NCA, which was launched on Monday, said one of the UK suspects is in his early 50s and from Devon. The others are in their early 20s and come from Manchester.
The four men were arrested on suspicion of supplying controlled drugs and have been bailed to a later date.
Other suspects are likely to be taken in for questioning in the coming weeks, it added.
Silk Road was an "anonymous marketplace" which users accessed it through the "deep web" - parts of the internet not covered by standard search engines - enabling them to hide their identities.
NCA director general Keith Bristow has warned those who believe they can remain anonymous should think again.
"It is impossible for criminals to completely erase their digital footprint. No matter how technology-savvy the offender, they will always make mistakes," he said.
Categories of products for sale on the Silk Road site included "cannabis", "psychedelics" and "stimulants", "erotica", "forgeries" and "fireworks". Hacking services, guns and hitmen were also allegedly available for purchase.
It was closed down and its alleged mastermind arrested after a lengthy investigation by the FBI.
Ross Ulbricht, 29, has been charged in New York with narcotics trafficking, computer hacking and money laundering in connection with the Silk Road website, which is believed to have collected more than $1bn (£620m) in revenue.
He is also wanted in Maryland for allegedly arranging to pay someone to kill a witness. He denies all the charges.
The UK arrests came after NCA officers, working closely with US counterparts, identified several suspects thought to be "significant users" of Silk Road.
Andy Archibald, head of the NCA's National Cyber Crime Unit, said: "This is only the start of a wider campaign for the NCA to tackle the 'dark' or 'deep' web and the criminals exploiting it.
"These criminal areas of the internet aren't just selling drugs; it's where fraud takes place, where the trafficking of people and goods is discussed, where child abuse images are exchanged and firearms are traded."
Dubbed "Britain's FBI", the NCA has been set up to lead the fight against serious and organised crime in the UK.
As part of its work against cyber threats it will also lead a multi-agency team, working with partners from around the world, which will investigate the danger of virtual currencies.
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