The Dark Web Down Under: What’s Driving The Rise And Rise Of NZ’s ‘Tor Market’ For Illegal Drugs?

While distributing CSAM material is not human trafficking, the production of CSAM is usually the result of trafficking children for exploitation. Using the darknet, deep web, and high-risk surface web data, DarkOwl analysts discovered multiple arms-centric marketplaces, vendor shops, and other classified-style advertisements for the sale of illegal firearms on the darknet. Nearly 300 people were arrested in a record-breaking international drug enforcement operation that targeted fentanyl and opioid traffickers on the dark web, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday. The results of the sting, called Operation Dark HunTor, followed the takedown in January of DarkMarket, at the time the world’s largest online marketplace for illicit goods, located in an encrypted and relatively hidden corner of the internet.

European Union Agency For Criminal Justice Cooperation

The Genesis Of The Darknet Drug Trade

• Without intervention from law enforcement, the dynamic and resilient darknet market ecosystem could have grown even faster over the past decade.
• In the post, the seller shares his BTC and XMR crypto addresses that can be used by buyers to transfer the money for the drugs they’re purchasing.
• District Court for the District of Columbia for illegal sales of opioids on various Darknet markets.
• Both services have extremely sophisticated network of couriers with wide inventory of illegal drugs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Law enforcement officials in the U.S. and Europe have arrested 150 people and seized more than $31 million in an international drug trafficking investigation stemming from sales on the darknet, the Justice Department said Tuesday. The technology and network category includes trust factors regarding the user experience on websites and the smoothness of internet connections. The success of web markets is greatly facilitated by their well-designed and well-structured interface, since the persuasion of customers begins when they first visit the website. The structure and manageability of the website (Al-Dwairi, 2013) and the performance and stability of the market interface (Karimov & Brengman, 2014) both affect the purchasing process on surface web markets.

Darknet Drug Trafficking: A Growing Concern

In Grand Theft Auto Online, players who purchase warehouses and garages for illicit cargo and stolen cars can buy/steal and sell them through trade on the “SecuroServ” syndicate website. After the Biker DLC, players can now purchase buildings for illegal drugs and counterfeit products manufacture, and distribute them through a darknet website called “The Open Road” where law enforcement cannot be notified of the player’s trade. The transnational organization operated online as the Darknet vendor “ItalianMafiaBrussels” or “IMB.” They used encrypted email and TOR-based online black markets, such as the now defunct Silk Road and Silk Road 2.0, to sell the MDMA, primarily dark web social security number to U.S. and Canadian customers. In 2014 and 2015, several defendants were charged and convicted in the District of Colorado for distributing MDMA sourced by the organization. Cryptomarkets are a focus for the gentrification hypothesis which proposes that a combination of long-established social, economic and technical conditions is serving to reduce the importance of violence and predation in drug distribution [17, 43]. Drug delivery has displaced street- or house-based exchanges in some circumstances; drug markets have become segmented by class and race; and the opportunities for combining drug dealing with other vice-exploitation crimes has declined [44].

Darknet drug trafficking is a growing concern in today’s digital age. The darknet, also known as the “deep web,” is a part of the internet that is not indexed by search engines and is only accessible through specialized software. This makes it an ideal platform for illegal activities, including drug trafficking.

The operation, dubbed SpecTor, also included the seizure of 117 firearms, 850 kilograms of drugs — including 64 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics — and $53.4 million in cash and virtual currencies, the U.S. The U.S. portion of the investigation was coordinated through the DOJ’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement team, which includes the DOJ, FBI and DEA, among others. Investigations and how to darknet market prosecutions remain ongoing in more than 30 federal districts, the agency said in its statement. “It’s indeed likely that the arrests are related to data from all the different takedowns,” says one former law enforcement official involved in dark web busts, who asked not to be named. “Law enforcement combines all the information from the different seized data sets in order to identify the high-value targets.

Peck and co-conspirators Kevin Fusco and Vincent Banner accepted payment in cryptocurrency and then mailed fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine nationwide using the U.S. Fusco was sentenced to 11 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy, and Banner is awaiting sentencing. Although, cracking down on sellers is an important aspect of ridding the market of illicit drugs dissuading buyers is also an important piece of shutting down these markets for good. If you have visited the dark web in order to look at or purchase illegal narcotics, then this can affect you directly. Even if you are not the distributor of the drugs, you can still be charged for buying or possessing illegal drugs as an end user. Even though federal authorities like to go after the main distributor or “big fish” when they investigate and pursue drug trafficking cases, they will still pursue buyers or anyone else potentially involved in order to move up the food chain.

The Rise of Darknet Drug Trafficking

The use of the darknet for drug trafficking has been on the rise in recent years. According to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the number of darknet marketplaces selling drugs has increased from 12 in 2013 to over 50 in 2016. These marketplaces offer a wide variety of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, and are accessible to anyone with an internet connection.

The Appeal of the Darknet

The darknet’s anonymity and lack of regulation make it an attractive platform for drug traffickers. Transactions on the darknet are conducted using cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, which make it difficult for law enforcement to trace the flow of money. Additionally, the darknet’s encryption technology provides an extra layer of security, making it difficult for authorities to identify and locate those involved in drug trafficking.

The Dangers of Darknet Drug Trafficking

While the darknet may offer a sense of security for drug traffickers, it also poses significant risks for both buyers and sellers. The lack of regulation and oversight means that drugs sold on the darknet may be of poor quality, contaminated, or even fake. Additionally, buyers may be at risk of being scammed or having their personal information stolen. Sellers, on the other hand, face the risk of being caught by law enforcement and facing severe penalties.

Combating Darknet Drug Trafficking

Combating darknet drug trafficking requires a multi-faceted approach. Law enforcement agencies must work to identify and shut down darknet marketplaces, while also working to trace the flow of money and identify those involved in drug trafficking. Additionally, education and awareness campaigns can help to inform the public about the dangers of buying drugs on the darknet.

Conclusion

Darknet drug trafficking is a growing concern that poses significant risks for both buyers and sellers. While the darknet may offer a sense of security, it also poses significant risks, including poor quality drugs, scams, and the risk of being caught by law enforcement. Combating dark market requires a multi-faceted approach, including law enforcement efforts, education and awareness campaigns, and the development of new technologies to trace the flow of money and identify those involved in drug trafficking.