If the computers were actively being used, then the hard drives' contents were at least partly accessible, encrypted or not. Copy everything off before shutting them down.

Prudent folk have a UPS kill switch within easy reach.

And someone running a darkweb drug site should have really strong home security, like outside video cameras, motion sensors, and alarms on the windows and doors.

For sure.

Ok, but the article makes it sound like the whole drive was unencrypted. But maybe that was just inexact reporting.