However, laws and regulations vary from state to state with most requiring a background check as well as other licenses to purchase more deadly weapons, especially fully automatic and semi-automatic rifles like AR-15s. 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. Once on the darknet market, users can browse listings for firearms, just as they would for any other product. Sellers typically accept payment in cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, which further obscures their identity. Some sellers may also require buyers to use a “dead drop” or “middleman” service to complete the transaction, adding an extra layer of anonymity. Of the 811 listings, 41 percent were for firearms; 27 percent were for arms-related digital products; and 22 percent were for ammunition.
The Role Of Technology In The Weapons Trade
These leads allow U.S. and international law enforcement agencies to identify darknet drug vendors and buyers, resulting in a series of coordinated, but separate, law enforcement investigations, reflected in the statistics announced today. Parsarad was also indicted by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Ohio on drug trafficking charges related to the illegal business he ran on the dark web. This market is open to anyone with the financial means, and the technical knowhow, to connect to the dark web. Terrorists, criminals, even children can conduct these illegal transactions protected by the veil of anonymity offered by the dark web, from the safety of their homes, and without requiring any prior connections to suppliers.
What We Know So Far About The Supposed ‘Mother Of All Data Breaches’
Despite that, Europe actually represents the largest market for firearms on the darknet with revenues around five times higher than the United States. At country level, Denmark had the second highest share of darknet firearms vendors (12.98 percent) followed by Germany (5.31 percent). JCODE and Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) continue to compile intelligence packages to identify entities of interest.
Torzon Market
- In this context, he stressed that one of the goals of releasing this new publication was to improve the understanding of the challenges posed by anonymous online transactions involving illicit weapons.
- McDonald purchased bulk quantities of fentanyl and cocaine and then directed others to complete hundreds of drug sales involving large quantities of both fentanyl and cocaine.
- This chart shows the worldwide distribution of darknet firearm vendors by country in 2017.
- There are many reasons buyers could turn to the dark web to purchase a weapon, Holt explained.
FGC stands for “fuck gun control,” and the acronym reflects the ideological leaning of its designer—and many others involved in the development of 3D-printed weapons. A darknet marketplace claiming to be affiliated with CJNG discovered by DarkOwl analysts offers drugs for sale. CJNG is one of the strongest cartels currently operating in Mexico, and would require weapons to maintain their drug trafficking routes and control. To further examine this topic, our analysts conducted an extensive survey of vendors trading on the darknet in weapons, drugs, and human trafficking. In doing so, DarkOwl analysts uncovered a confluence between the three economies, indicating a possible interrelationship between the supply routes moving drugs, weapons, and people around the world. Darknet markets are notorious for their lack of consumer protection, and it is not uncommon for buyers to send payment for a firearm and never receive it.
It remains a perilous and illegal avenue fraught with dangers, both legally and physically, for those who dare to explore it. The 3D-printed gun movement is still active after Duygu’s death, filled with hobbyists, gun enthusiasts, and new designs. At its heart, this is an ideological movement, not a commercial enterprise, although some people and organizations of course try to make money from 3D-printed guns.
The Top 7 Dark Web Marketplaces In 2025
There is concern that real-world violence can result from the misogyny and hatred toward women that is expressed by some online incel communities. The first high-profile murders carried out by someone who claimed to be incel-inspired were in May 2014, when 22-year-old Elliot Rodger killed six people in a stabbing and shooting spree at a campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Eventually, I discovered threads in which Jacob D had uploaded photos of himself, including one where he showed his face. 4chan is ephemeral (posts are routinely culled) and supposedly anonymous (the default name setting for anyone posting is simply “Anonymous”).
Risks Involved
This is a service used on different market to secure funds until both sides (customer and vendor) complete the transaction. Customs, ATF identified the seller as an Argentinean national who had been illegally exporting firearms for years. ATF’s Internet Investigations Center monitors both the open Surface Web as well as the Dark Web for potential illegal firearm transactions. The idea behind the production and use of hard to track cryptocurrency will be analyzed in combination with illicit product accessibility and the influence anonymity has had on the market. This paper argues that technological innovations such as encryption, cryptocurrencies and browsing are key factors that influence the change and transition of drug markets into the digital world. Having to grant an access to a catalog of illicit substances, option to order online whist having the product delivered to your door and all of this anonymously has attract a wide range of audience in recent years.
The Dark Web Gun Trade May Be Bigger Than You Think
For example, many times listings for human trafficking victims on the darknet will be advertised as “escort services,” “child escort services,” “rentals,” “kid rentals,” and more. Accessing the dark web typically requires software like Tor, which anonymizes users and allows them to browse hidden websites. Operation RapTor involves law enforcement actions taken by JCODE member agencies, including the DEA, FBI, FDA OCI, HSI, IRS-CI, and USPIS.
Some companies have taken steps to prevent arms trafficking on their sites, but completely eradicating it is extremely difficult. My film explains the darknet gun market truth of our still broken financial system, and how our pensions and our savings are still very much at risk. The good thing about using this website is that you do not have to purchase any products or services on the site to get started. One of the most infamous platforms on the dark web was the Silk Road, known primarily for the sale of illegal drugs. The eventual takedown of the Silk Road by law enforcement agencies in 2013 highlighted the dangers of dark web marketplaces, although similar platforms quickly arose in its absence. There are many reasons buyers could turn to the dark web to purchase a weapon, Holt explained.
A Crime Script Model Of Dark Web Firearms Purchasing
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. While there is a long history of connections between drugs and weapons, DarkOwl analysts were curious if a similar relationship could be observed between weapons and human trafficking, and drugs and human trafficking. Countries geographically close to the United States likely do not need to purchase firearms on the darknet and can rely on direct smuggling across the border. For example, it is estimated between 70% and 90% of guns recovered at crime scenes in Mexico can be followed back to the US drug cartels who smuggle them across the border.
To combat the illegal trade of weapons on the dark web, law enforcement is increasingly turning to advanced technologies. Data analytics and machine learning can help agencies identify patterns in the illegal sales that may inform their wider investigative strategies. In recent years, there have been alarming connections between dark web purchases and mass shootings. Reports indicated that individuals such as the perpetrator of the 2017 Las Vegas shooting acquired firearms through similar online means. Such incidents illustrate the real-world ramifications of the ease with which weapons can be procured on the dark web and the subsequent implications for public safety.
Unsurprisingly, all sorts of guns are finding their way onto the darknet from pistols to high-powered assault rifles. A study from the RAND Corporation analyzed the size of the firearms trade on global cryptomarkets, finding that the darknet has indeed increased the availability of firearms for similar prices to the illegal street trade. The United States is the most common source country for arms sales on the darknet, accounting for 60 percent of the listings analyzed last year.
Simply copy the HTML code that is shown for the relevant statistic in order to integrate it. As technology evolves, so too does the complexity of the illicit market, necessitating ongoing scrutiny and law enforcement efforts to combat this disturbing trend. Main products offered by this deep web weapon store are Glock 19 and Walther P Euro Guns. The most common way to access the dark web is through the Tor browser, which anonymizes users’ internet activity. 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.
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. After trying to escape, he was eventually caught by the police, put on trial, and given a life sentence. For any would-be terrorists watching, his attack was not a great advertisement for homemade firearms.
