The dark web — an encrypted part of the internet accessible only with special software — is often used to sell drugs, weapons, and other illicit goods. The RoadRunna case is not the first major operation involving Canadians using the dark web for illegal activities. AlphaBay, which was taken down in 2017, offered drugs but also stolen and fraudulent information, hacking tools and firearms. The 25-year-old was arrested in Thailand but was found dead in his cell before he could go to trial. The RCMP have dismantled what they’re calling one of the largest drug trafficking networks based on the so-called “dark web” in Canadian history.
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Other distribution cells were in Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, North Dakota and Washington. Individuals in those distribution cells received drug shipments from overseas and then re-packaged and re-shipped the drugs to locations in all 50 states, Canada, England, Ireland, Jamaica, Scotland and the U.S. Specifically, Banmeet Singh, 40, of Haldwani, India, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to commit money laundering. We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers.
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Vendors with higher feedback ratings can get away with asking for “early finalization.” This system (along with the reviews and forums) incentivizes them to sell what they say they’re selling; ripping people off has consequences. “We haven’t taken our eye off the ball in relation to drugs and we have still had a number of successful operations in recent weeks.” Det Supt Shields acknowledged that lockdown did have an impact on police operations.

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Silk Road And Early Markets
The dark web model endures because it offers great efficiencies to dealers and users. Market URLs change rapidly nowadays on the dark web, to escape malicious hacking by blackmailers. This exposes users to risk as it is simple to copy a site’s code, host a fake version of it, circulate URLs online and steal users’ passwords to the official sites – and then steal their bitcoins.
The vast majority of “down,” as they call the dreary, unpleasant stuff, doesn’t even contain heroin. Plus, the far-too-common grey sort (known confusingly as “grey death,” despite often being on the weaker side) is rather hard to inject. A pale, ashy shade in powder form, it turns pitch-black when mixed with water. This opaqueness makes the flash of blood impossible to see, so you never quite know whether you’ve hit a vein. CINCINNATI – The final defendant in a national narcotics conspiracy was sentenced in U.S. The six other coconspirators were previously sentenced in federal…
Initial studies into drug sales on social media began to be published in 2012. Over the next decade, piecemeal studies began to reveal a notable portion of drug sales were being mediated by social platforms. In 2021, it was estimated some 20 percent of drug purchases in Ireland were being arranged through social media. In the US in 2018 and Spain in 2019, a tenth of young people who used drugs appear to have connected with dealers through the internet, with the large majority doing so through social media, according to one small study. One of the bigger changes the internet has introduced to the global marketplace is the ability to find, purchase and receive goods without ever leaving the comfort of home. In Grand Theft Auto Online, players who purchase warehouses and garages for illicit cargo and stolen cars can buy/steal and sell them through trade on the “SecuroServ” syndicate website.

FAQ – Dark Web Markets 2025 And Cybersecurity
- More criminals in Northern Ireland are using social media and the dark web to sell drugs, according to a senior police officer.
- For example, YoMix is a bitcoin mixer used by the Lazarus Group to launder their stolen cryptocurrency profits, with a massive influx of laundered funds in 2023.
- Never log in with your real name or reuse passwords from other accounts.
- Bingham believes we are missing an opportunity to engage directly with people on the channels where they’re buying drugs.
- The investigation into Bohemia began at the end of 2022, focusing on its operations that reportedly included several servers located in the Netherlands.
- Operation SpecTor was a collaborative initiative across JCODE members, including the Department of Justice, FBI, DEA, USPIS, HSI, IRS-CI, ATF, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), and the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations.
The proliferation of IoT and 5G devices will provide new attack vectors for infostealer gangs. As AI becomes more accessible, hackers may use AI-driven tools to automate data theft on a massive scale. State-sponsored threat actors are cybercriminal groups supported or directly managed by government agencies on the darkweb market. They often carry out attacks that align with their country’s political, economic, or military goals. The Abacus Market links to the new dark web marketplace sections and took over much of the vacuum left by the AlphaBay takedown.
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At a minimum, he faces 10 years in prison for selling drugs and five years, to be served consecutively, for owning firearms to sell drugs. The operation, known as DisrupTor, was a joint effort between the Department of Justice and Europol. It is believed that the criminals engaged in tens of thousands of sales of illicit goods and services across the US and Europe. Police forces around the world have seized more than $6.5m (£5m) in cash and virtual currencies, as well as drugs and guns in a co-ordinated raid on dark web marketplaces.
Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. A Canadian market established in 2021, WTN offers over 9,000 products, including narcotics, fake goods, and digital services. It operates in both French and English and has built a reputation for ease-of-use. Known for its publicity stunt releasing millions of stolen card details for free, BidenCash specializes in credit card fraud and identity theft.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Dark Web Marketplaces
Patterns recommended to avoid include hiring hitmen like Dread Pirate Roberts, and sharing handles for software questions on sites like Stack Exchange. The alleged administrators of the infamous Bohemia and Cannabia dark web marketplaces have been arrested after apparently shuttering the sites and trying to flee with their earnings. It allows you to browse listing without registration unlike Royal and Nemsis market.

Nexus Market
Active for a decade since 2014, it is a widely used credit card shop used to source stolen credit card information such as dumps, CVVs, Wholesale Accounts. Security researchers have been monitoring forums within the cybercriminal underworld to investigate the leading markets operating in 2024. Believe it or not, some dark web marketplaces have pretty advanced systems for building trust. Sellers often need to pay a deposit to prove they’re serious, and they build their reputation through positive reviews.