But what the father-of-two thought were legitimate dark net market sellers were in fact investigators from US Homeland Security, who then passed on the evidence to the NCA. Police forces across the country have warned of the availability of weapons on dark net markets. The NCA tracked down Hillyer, who said in an interview with the agency that his actions on the dark web were part of research to help him apply for a job at the NCA. Hillyer’s colleagues reportedly described him as a “fantasist,” and claimed he said he worked for the intelligence and security services. A good chunk of the trades were destined for Europe, while the United States appears to be the main source where guns are sold from, according to the study. The 25-year-old reportedly told his mother to get rid of items from his truck and room, including two briefcases, which was treated as destruction of evidence.
Understanding the Dark Web Gun Market
The dark web gun market is a controversial and often misunderstood segment of the internet that operates outside the reach of standard law enforcement and internet monitoring. This hidden marketplace has gained notoriety for its role in the exchange of illegal goods, including firearms.
Mr Brook said police initially went to an address in Redditch before going to the property in Hall Green, his parent’s home, where Asaan lived in an annex in the back garden. Asaan Hussain 23, of Green Avenue, Hall Green, pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to import a pistol and ammunition, possessing a prohibited weapon and ammunition and possessing articles for fraud. In October 2018, local enforcement officers planned and oversaw a controlled delivery of the meth package to Coughlin’s residence. After this wife, Lanna Spurlock, signed and received the delivery, police searched the property and found 8 grams of meth on the premises. I also came back on this site several days later and they modified their interface. They added transaction IDs to look more legitimate, but since they are reusing bitcoin addresses among IDs, anyone can easily see that this is a scam.
Neither DuckDuckGo’s dark or normal versions keep a log of your web activity. The utilization of the dark web for purchasing guns is considered insignificant, especially when compared to the vast amount of illegal drugs being traded. For Dr Luca Giommoni, an expert in illicit online markets at Cardiff University, a more effective approach would be to target individual sellers who have gained the trust of their customers. So it’s not the network that needs to be taken down, but the relationship between buyers and sellers. DNMs, or cryptomarkets, are long-established sources of soft and hard drugs, child abuse images, fake identity documents, knives, and – although very rarely – firearms. Policing involves targeting specific activities of the private web deemed illegal or subject to internet censorship.
What is the Dark Web?
Amongst the 20 comments added to this post, we found one comment by the user scaryred24, who offers to sell a gun to okbuddydread. The post, made by the user okbuddydread around October 2021, notes that they want to take revenge against their drug dealer who allegedly owes them money. It helps users locate sites that have gone down — due to a DDoS attack or other event — and relaunched under new URLs. The search engine results include the vendor’s name and location and the price of the product. Other sites included in the search listings so far include Agora, BlackBank, Cloud-Nine, Evolution, NiceGuy, Pandora, and The Pirate Market. He was told a Glock had been ordered for delivery and carried out an internet search and realised it was a firearm.
That makes an untraceable gun, or a gun with a fake serial number—as is the Armory’s stated specialty—much more valuable. Criminals and traffickers have increasingly turned to the online cybersphere to exploit victims. Social media platforms can be used to identify possible victims, target them, recruit them, and then to advertise their exploitation services. The internet and darknet can be used to broadcast live acts of exploitation for distribution to a wider audience. While distributing CSAM material is not human trafficking, the production of CSAM is usually the result of trafficking children for exploitation. CSAM material is available on the darknet and in darknet-adjacent platforms.
Leaked Police Docs Reveal Crypto’s Role In Dark Web Bioweapons Trade
Investigators said those items were then sold to pawn shops around Orlando. The supposed gun dealers Hillyer contacted were officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA), who forwarded a plastic replica gun hidden inside a DAB radio. At this stage, it is already possible to gather significant information from these posts. And, given that scaryred24 offers to sell a “piece” (firearm) to the poster if they are in or around the Boston area, it can be assumed that they are located somewhere within that area. Lastly, scaryred24 has also provided a phone number on which they can be contacted via WhatsApp or text.
He then attempted to purchase a Ruger LC9 9mm pistol and 50 rounds of ammunition from a vendor on a dark web forum. And while absolute numbers are still small – accounting for less than 1 per cent of items sold on the dark web – capabilities go far beyond simply putting a gun in the mail. From manuals on how to create explosives to detailed instructions on how to disassemble and ship a gun to various overseas destinations, the information and technology available to purchase is well-placed to facilitate lone-wolf attacks. The teenager was detained in a police operation at the Riverside retail park, in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, on Thursday morning. Police said he had allegedly handed over £150 for the ammunition to an operative, believing he could later purchase a machine gun. The guns referred to in the indictment were Glocks, MAC9s, and a MAC10 and MAC11.
The dark web is a part of the internet that is not indexed by traditional search engines. It requires specific software, configurations, or authorization to access. The most common way to access the dark web is through the Tor browser, which anonymizes users’ internet activity.
According to the same study, the US was the most common country supplying markets. DarkOwl discovered arms for sale on darknet onion services hosted on the Tor anonymous network in English, Russian, German, and Chinese Mandarin. A few sites offer mostly similar weapons found in gun stores or gun re-sellers found around the United States. Other sites advertise military-grade weapons that are typically not available to civilians, including anti-tank guided munitions (ATGMs), e.g. It isn’t at all surprising that so much of the illegal weapons trade now takes place on the Dark Web, the shadowy parallel Internet system where criminals operate vast, untraceable, anonymous marketplaces for outlawed goods and services.
The Appeal of Buying Guns on the Dark Web
Several factors contribute to the allure of purchasing firearms through the dark web:
- Anonymity: Users can buy items without revealing their identity.
- Variety: The dark web often provides access to weapons that are hard to find in legal markets.
- Convenience: Purchases can be made from the comfort of one’s home.
- Lower prices: Some items may be available at a reduced cost compared to traditional markets.
Risks of Buying Guns on the Dark Web
Despite its appeal, purchasing firearms on the dark web is fraught with risks:
- Legal Consequences: Buying a gun illegally can lead to severe legal ramifications, including arrest and imprisonment.
- Scams: Many vendors may take payments but fail to deliver the promised goods.
- Safety Hazards: Illegally obtained firearms may be defective or unreliable.
- Involvement with Criminal Activity: Purchasing a gun from the dark web can lead to unintended associations with organized crime.
How Does the Dark Web Gun Market Operate?
The buying and selling of firearms on the dark web typically occurs within forums or marketplaces that are accessible only to registered users. The process generally follows these steps:
- Encrypted communications networks can serve as a work-around to traditional darknet marketplaces and facilitate single-vendor trade or “direct deals” by interfacing with users directly.
- But by leveraging intelligence gathering, tracing data, undercover operations, and prosecution, ATF provides an important check against the most dangerous abuses of firearms trafficking online.
- Typically sold in bulk lots of a hundred or more, credit card numbers can be had at low prices and ready for the most illicit of uses.
- Michael Andrew Ryan, a.k.a. “Gunrunner,” was a 35-year old man from Manhattan, Kansas.
- Accessing the Dark Web: Users must have appropriate software like the Tor browser.
- Choosing a Marketplace: Various sites list firearms along with descriptions and prices.
- Making a Purchase: Transactions are often conducted using cryptocurrencies to maintain anonymity.
- Delivery Methods: Sellers may use different methods such as mail or other discreet delivery services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Is it safe to buy guns on the dark web?
A1: No, buying guns on the dark web is dangerous. It poses significant legal and personal risks.
Q2: What types of guns can be purchased?
A2: A range of firearms may be available, including handguns, rifles, and even automatic weapons, though these vendors are often illegal and unreliable.
Q3: Can I trust sellers on the dark web?
A3: Trust is difficult on the dark web, and many transactions can lead to scams or law enforcement intervention.
Q4: What are the legal repercussions of buying a gun on the dark web?
A4: Violating gun laws by purchasing firearms illegally can lead to fines, imprisonment, and a criminal record.
Conclusion
The dark web gun market may seem enticing to some, but the potential consequences far outweigh any perceived benefits. It remains a perilous and illegal avenue fraught with dangers, both legally and physically, for those who dare to explore it.
