Apr 26, 2023
The Shadowy World of Illegal Firearms and Drugs on the Dark Web
The accessibility of illegal firearms has been significantly increased by the existence of the dark web. Some dark web vendors even provide customer-friendly options such as refund
policies and trial periods. The sellers are very cautious about the transaction process, emphasizing the importance of maintaining secrecy throughout.
Moreover, the cost of these firearms on the dark web was not significantly divergent from the prices in legal markets.
The dark web gun market is becoming increasingly trendy, with its slick and popular appeal among both gangsters and law enforcement. This raises the question, why are individuals turning to the dark web instead of traditional means? The intersection of weapons and the internet is fueling this trend.
The cost of Glocks found on the dark web is similar to their offline counterparts, but they lack registration and their serial numbers have been removed, according to Professor Broadhurst. He also notes that a single gun in the hands of the wrong person can cause significant harm. In addition, there are tools available for modifying firearms frames, as per Professor Broadhurst's statement.
According to Holt, the danger of purchasing a gun through the dark web is very real and it only takes one to fatally harm someone.
The Hidden World of Dark Web Weapons and Dark Market URLs
Avoiding the Law - The Mysterious World of Dark Web Guns
According to Holt, there is very little information available about the sale and distribution of firearms on the dark web. This is similar to the case with illegal drugs and pharmaceuticals. The more we learn about how guns are sold on these hidden markets, the better equipped we will be to combat their spread.
It is important not to underestimate the dark web gun trade, as it has the potential to grow and evolve quickly. Many of these marketplaces also offer a form of payment protection, where the buyer pays the marketplace first, and then the money is released once the goods have arrived safely.
Contrary to popular belief, the guns available on the dark web are not necessarily exotic or rare. In fact, handguns seem to be the most common type of firearm sold on these platforms. It is unknown who is buying these guns, but it is certainly cause for concern.
The dark web gun market is a thriving underground economy where buyers and sellers can exchange illicit firearms without detection. This market is facilitated by anonymous online marketplaces, which allow users to browse listings, communicate with sellers, and make purchases using cryptocurrencies. The availability of guns on the dark web has raised concerns about public safety, as these weapons can be used to commit violent crimes. Law enforcement agencies around the world are working to identify and shut down these illicit marketplaces, but the anonymous nature of the dark web makes it difficult to track down those involved in the trade. Despite these efforts, the dark web gun market continues to thrive, posing a significant threat to public safety.
It may come as a shock, but the truth is that the majority of guns sold on the dark web can be legally purchased in the United States. This was revealed in a recent study published in the journal Deviant Behavior, which found that conventional handguns were the most commonly sold firearms on illicit online marketplaces. To avoid detection, vendors often provide stealth packaging for shipments to Australia. So, if you come across a gun for sale on the dark web, it's likely that it was purchased legally.
The distribution of firearms on the dark web remains a mystery as little information is available on the matter. It is often compared to the illegal trade of pharmaceuticals and drugs, as we are aware of the online purchases, but the details are scarce. One similarity between firearm vendors is the intentional sale of both handguns and rifles. Bitcoin is commonly used as the payment method, while sellers frequently request PO Boxes for shipping purposes. The method of delivery for these guns is also unknown.
The Unseen World of Gun and Credit Card Markets on the Dark Web
Convincing a gang member of your non-involvement with the police and your seriousness was already a challenging task, made even more difficult by the need to ensure that they didn't just take your money and hand you a faulty weapon. While we didn't come across any exotic or rare firearms, the handguns we saw were the same types of weapons that someone in the United States might acquire at a local gun show. However, the fact that they were being sold on the dark web made them incredibly hazardous. Without any regulations or oversight, anyone could purchase these firearms and utilize them for malicious purposes. This served as a stark reminder of the dangers that lurked in the shadows and as a cautionary tale that we must treat this threat with the utmost seriousness.
Around 40% of weapon listings on the dark web are firearms, with digital products like manuals on making explosives or blueprints for 3D printed weapons coming in at around 30%. According to Holt, there are various reasons why buyers might resort to purchasing weapons on the dark web.
More than 50% of the firearms available for purchase on the dark web originate from the United States, while the profits generated from European sales are five times greater than those from domestic transactions on the dark web. This information was reported on May 2, 2023, at 4:06 PM UTC by Johannes Eisele from AFP/Getty Images. It's worth noting that merely 4% of the weapons offered on the dark web were military-grade, automatic weapons.
The Shadowy World of Gun Sales on the Dark Web
The prevalent categories of firearms sold on the dark web were handguns (70.5%), followed by rifles (10.3%), ammunition (3.7%), submachine guns (1.9%), explosives (1.7%), shotguns (1.6%), and accessories (1.1%). By comprehending how guns are traded and what types of firearms are accessible on the dark web, we can better appreciate how the internet can serve as a specialized market for gun distribution. According to Hernandez-Castro, all you need to do is sign up with a marketplace and start exploring as though you were on Amazon. "We were taken aback with the amount of self-help information available."
The concept of Dark web gun has the potential to bring about a paradigm shift in the way firearms are purchased by ordinary citizens. This could prove to be a game-changer for those who are unable to legally obtain a firearm or reside in a country with stricter gun laws. Media coverage of this subject should include a link to the original paper available at m/doi/full/10.1080/01639625.2019.1596465.
According to lead author Professor Roderic Broadhurst from the ANU Cybercrime Observatory, the standard weapon used by law enforcement can often be seen in action movies. However, on the anonymous marketplaces of the dark web, users require specific software to access the subset of the internet in order to remain anonymous.
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