A Dortmunder Suspected To Buy Guns from Darknet

 

When Darknet is being talked about in Germany, one listing of an item that usually comes to mind is “weapons”. Most of the gun violence in Germany has been attributed to the Darknet, as the platform is known to encourage illegal smuggling of weapons.

Last year, the Germany’s prolific Darknet weapon dealer was arrested and jailed five and half years.

The Munich shooting was also linked to the Darknet after an investigation revealed that the gun was purchased from the Darknet.

Within the week, a 54-year-old man has been busted for buying 10 firearms and 1,500 rounds of ammunition from a Darknet marketplace. The man, whose identity was not disclosed by the police, was caught in the net of a raid in some targeted cities.

The number of Germans who deal in Darknet weapon smuggling is rising on daily basis, and those that deal in other illegal substances on the Darknet are no different.

Upon an awareness of the authorities, some have been handed over to law enforcement.

In Germany, earlier this year, three suspects were arrested for purchasing firearms from the Darknet. Weapon smuggling has become a big time business on the Darknet across Europe. The weapons are sold at cheaper prices, and individuals hide behind the internet to place their order and then wait for its arrival at the comfort of their homes.

According to a press release, an investigation was conducted between May and June of this year. With a search warrant, authorities searched the home of the suspect, including two other houses. Enough evidence was gathered, and a good legal ground was established for the arrest of the Dortmunder.

As said earlier, Dortmund and Germany as a whole has had an effect of the Darknet weapon smuggling which is rampant across Europe. The investigation commission of the Main Registry Office in the Federal Republic of Germany targeted Dortmund during the spring. They planned to raid the City for any trade of firearms. It is reported that authorities came into contact with the suspect on the Darknet, under a username which was not disclosed.

The Dortmunder was identified to be a trader of firearms which is not in line with country laws. Of course, some German Darknet users’ trade drugs on the Darknet, and they have together placed Germany among the top Darknet drug traders in Europe. Some people believe that weapon smuggling should be treated more harshly by authorities compared to that of drug trafficking, but German law enforcers are seeking to haunt any Darknet illicit trader who appears on their radar.

Some substances were seized after the search in his apartment. Ten firearms, 1,562 bullets, and 2,711 pyrotechnic items were found in his possession. The Dortmunder was arrested for violating the law of weapons, and he faces up to three years imprisonment.

The raid in the various houses resulted in the seizure of a total of 17 firearms, 2,312 short ammunitions, 2 knives, 8 beats and 2,711 forbidden pyrotechnic. The items have a total value of 25,000 Euros. The raid was conducted across Dortmund, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Lower Saxony.

Weapon Smuggle From Darknet Is A Headache in Europe

Weapons are found in the various Darknet marketplaces at cheaper prices. An AK47 is sold at prices ranging from $2,800 to $3,600 in some of the markets. A Darknet weapon shop owner in 2014 wrote on Reddit that “[O]ur online orders are not small, usually it’s a single handgun followed by a dozen or more arms.” Weapons are found in all sizes and are delivered through postal offices in components after orders are placed.

Some years back, Sascha W. was arrested in Germany after 16 weapons were seized during a search in his house. An important revelation came after his arrest, and it may be a reason for high weapon trade in the country. Authorities said that Sascha “was allegedly converting non-lethal weapons to firearms and then selling them online.” This reveals that some dealers manufacture the weapons themselves and have them sold on the Darknet. This may be a reason for the ever increasing weapon distribution in Germany and across Europe. Sascha was distributing weapons for a terrorist on the Darknet marketplace.

Johnson Thomas, an expert in arms trafficking said that vendors take advantage of countries with weak gun laws in the European Union to smuggle weapons, which affect the efforts of enforcements. “The problem generally is that as the E.U.’s frontiers have moved eastward, certain countries with weaker gun laws have moved inside the free-movement zone. That doesn’t always help with law enforcement,” he said.