Once the order has been placed, vendors insist on bitcoin payments to beat KYC norms, through which banks can obtain information about the deal. According to a report by ET, marketplaces in the web like AlphaBay, Dream, Valhalla, Outlaw and Hansa Market are capable of providing illegal objects without any difficulty or fuss. Extremists as well as civilians are turning to the dark web for weapons, including the 18-year-old shooter who killed nine people in Munich. Registered arms are also on the rise, but Europe’s unregistered weapons outnumbered legal ones in 2017 by 44.5 million to 34.2 million, research by the Small Arms Survey reveals.

Guns on the Dark Web: A Growing Concern

Behind The Curtain: The Illicit Trade Of Firearms, Explosives And Ammunition On The Dark Web 19 July 2017

The most common categories were handguns (70.5 per cent), followed by rifles (10.3 per cent), ammunition (3.7 per cent), submachine guns (1.9 per cent), explosives (1.7 per cent), shotguns (1.6 per cent) and accessories (1.1per cent). Digital products (5.3 per cent), CBRN (0.64 per cent) and miscellaneous weapons (3.3 per cent) were only listed on omnibus markets. “We know dark web forum so little about the distribution of firearms sold on the Dark Web that it’s kind of a black hole, similar to illicit pharmaceuticals and narcotics. We know people buy them online, but we don’t know to what extent,” said Thomas Holt, Professor of criminal justice and co-author of the research. The ATF is focused on stopping illegal firearms and ammunition sales online.

The dark web, a part of the internet that is intentionally hidden and inaccessible through standard web browsers, has become a hub for illegal activity. One of the most concerning aspects of this underground marketplace is the ease with which individuals can purchase firearms.

But there is no direct evidence of a direct link between the dark web online gun store market and terrorism. The study estimates that 136 sales of guns, explosives and related products which darknet markets accept zcash take place on the dark web each month, producing a gross revenue of around $80,000. Pistols were the most commonly sold weapon, followed by rifles and sub-machine guns.

THE TRADE IN TOOLS: THE MARKET FOR ILLICIT GUNS IN HIGH‐RISK NETWORKS

Nation-states wanting to conduct in-field operations could greatly benefit from such a device. Then, there are also commercially available remote access trojans and bots that nation states could leverage for more sophisticated attacks and espionage. The Anubis Bot, Azorult 3.3 AZORult Trojan (Version 3.3), and Spy MAX v1.0 – Android RAT are all currently available for sale across many darknet marketplaces and accessible via instant download link delivered upon purchase. Homeland Security in the biggest firearms seizure in the province’s history.

• Onionscan’s findings showed that only a little over four thousand sites (15%) were actually online and operating.
• The 2016 Munich shooter, for instance, appropriated the gear necessary to kill 10 and injure 36 people through the dark web.
• If this is found to be true, the judge wrote, that will constitute the commission of a new crime.
• However, arms and ammunition vendors from the UK let you make an order by paying with Bitcoin and registering on its site.

The Availability of Guns on the Dark Web

A simple search on the dark web will yield numerous results for firearms of all types, from handguns to assault rifles. These weapons are often sold by unlicensed dealers, who are not dark web markets subject to the same regulations as licensed firearms dealers. This makes it easy for individuals who are unable to legally purchase firearms to obtain them through the dark web.

HK MR556A1 556mm NATO 165in Black Semi Automatic Modern Sporting Rifle

The Dangers of Unregulated Gun Sales

The lack of regulation on the dark web means that there is no way to ensure that the firearms being sold are safe or in good working order. Additionally, there is no way to trace the ownership of these weapons, making it difficult for law enforcement to track down individuals who use them in the commission of crimes.

The Role of Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, plays a major role in the sale of firearms on the dark web. These digital currencies allow buyers and sellers to conduct transactions anonymously, making it difficult for law enforcement to track down those involved in illegal gun sales.

The Need for Regulation

The ease with which firearms can be purchased on the dark web highlights the need for increased regulation of online gun sales. While the dark web is difficult to police, steps can be taken to make it more difficult for unlicensed dealers to sell firearms online. Additionally, increased regulation of cryptocurrency could help to make it more difficult for individuals to conduct anonymous transactions on the dark web.

Conclusion

The availability of firearms on the dark web is a growing concern that requires immediate attention. Increased regulation of online gun sales and cryptocurrency can help to make it more difficult for unlicensed dealers to sell firearms on the dark web, but more needs to be done to address this issue. It is crucial that law enforcement and policymakers work together to find solutions to this problem and keep our communities safe.