Dark Web Drug Markets Dented by Police Raids: Report
The Australian National University (ANU) has found that police raids on the dark web marketplaces have dented the supply of opioids, like fentanyl being sold illegally online.
The report (pdf), commissioned by the Australian Institute of Criminology’s (AIC) Serious and Organised Crime Research Laboratory, examined how law enforcement seizures and the subsequent black market closures affected the availability of opioids on the darknet. The darknet refers to a specifically used network for a criminal purpose and can only be accessed through specific software like Tor or Freenet.
“We found evidence that shutdowns resulting from transnational police operations dispersed and displaced markets, vendors and buyers, and it also reduced the availability of these drugs and their prices on the markets,” Lead Researcher Emeritus Professor Roderic Broadhurst said.
CROSS-border police operations targeting the dark web have had a significant impact on the availability of opioids, in particular the lethal drug fentanyl, according to a new ANU report.
“Since their inception, dark web markets have continued to evolve and they present unique problems to law enforcement agencies,” says emeritus professor at the ANU Cybercrime Observatory, Roderic Broadhurst.
“We found evidence that shutdowns resulting from transnational police operations dispersed and displaced markets, vendors and buyers, and it also reduced the availability of these drugs and their prices rose on the markets.”
When a darknet market is closed or a specific product is targeted, the report commissioned by the Australian Institute of Criminology’s (AIC) Serious and Organised Crime Research Laboratory, found the impact is complex and subtle.
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