I can't be the only one.
Yes you are!
Instead, an illusion of privacy was promoted to clearnet users (that's us here in bitcointalk), while in fact our "cleaner" funds were used to bail out real criminals and terrorists. Because to a mixer, a clean bitcoin, is worth more than market value, so they were willing to overpay for it in the form of advertising. Come to think of it, the recent bust of Sinbad served as a reminder that mixers are in fact very traceable.
No illusion, I've sent by mistake and then just out of pure curiosity coins mixed from CM directly to two exchanges, it's been two years thousands in and out and not even one email or anything, and one of those exchnges is probably the most draconian one when it comes to KYC. Same for my currently advertised mixer, sent a batch to Binance, 3 months and nothing..
What's the point then, of using a mixer, when your funds can be traced so easily? Do its methods of mixing really work, or could it be that this is intended functionality for someone to get the short end of the stick?
First, the funds weren't mixed!
The authorities traced Sinbad to this forum and labeled the two addresses mentioned in the topic as being owned by Sinbad when in fact they were the campaign payment addresses. Some used for payments not their own wallet but Binance direct address, so ...like how hard was to trace that?
So again, there was no mixing whatsoever involved at any step!!