Title: Assessing the Practices and Products of Darkweb Firearm Vendors
Authors: Christopher L.
Copeland, Mikaela A. Wallin, Thomas J. Holt
Date: March 2019
Journal: Deviant Behavior
Abstract:
The development
of the Darknet as a parallel network to the Web in the 21st century has
facilitated illegal trafficking in small arms, as defined by the United
Nations. The authors have used investigative research methodologies to observe
six weapon sale sites on the Darknet over a six-month period to identify
sellers of firearms, the type and caliber of weapons for sale, manufacturer,
price in Bitcoin, and the principle national origins of the firearms. This is
the first study of its type to explore the illegal sale of firearms on the
Darknet. This evidence can be used by law enforcement to intercept and shut
down said sites and provide insight to the nature of the illegal arms trade on
the Darknet.
Source: https://doi.org/ 10.1080/01639625.2019.1596465