German Politician: Crime On The Dark Net Is Growing

German politician Harald Schwartz (CSU – Christian Social Union in Bavaria) visited a local police station in Sulzbach-Rosenberg to discuss important topics, including internet and dark net crime.

“In today’s world, crimes do not just take place in a conventional way, especially in the instance of economic crimes and Internet crimes,” this statement was the reason why Schwartz visited the standby police station in Sulzbach-Rosenberg. The politician was informed about ”special skills and careers” regarding economic, computer, and internet crime.

“The number of offenses on the Internet is growing rapidly and constantly,” Thomas Lehner, the head of the police responsible for the area, underlined the significance of the crimes in the region. He described the problems law enforcement authorities face in Sulzbach-Rosenberg, including the lack of IT specialists.

“This is why we are facing the challenge of filling the vacancies in the best possible way, and the short duration of the data retention is a problem in this area,” Lehner said.

Additionally, the head of the police described the politician that the dark net is a hidden part of the internet, in which users can actively and manually set up a connection. This provides them a greater degree of anonymity, which places great problems on law enforcement authorities.

“Even though the use of the dark net is not illegal, current studies show that 57 percent of Internet sites are illegal, and are often used for drugs or arms trafficking,” Schwartz said in a statement.

In conclusion, the CSU politician expressed his supports for strengthening the police, including the area of cybercrime. He promised local authorities to pass on a list of suggestions to the relevant offices in Münich.

In late January, a 31-year-old German from Geretsried was arrested for purchasing 250 grams of amphetamines from the dark web. According to official court documents, the vendor sent the package with lacking 95 cents from postage. This resulted in the parcel being delivered to the return address. However, the address belonged to a local company in the area, who immediately alerted the police after they received the package.

The 31-year-old started purchasing narcotics from the dark net in August 2015. According to police information, the suspect ordered two packages, containing 250 grams of amphetamine each, from the dark web. Law enforcement authorities intercepted both packages, which led to the investigation of the accused person.

The 31-year-old car mechanic admitted that he consumed amphetamines on a daily basis. According to his statement, he consumed about three to five grams of the drug per day. The suspect also told the court that “it was almost impossible to start the day without amphetamines”.

The Wolfratshauser District Court sentenced the defendant to five years of probation and two years of a special drug program. Police reported that the 31-year-old violated narcotics laws in the past; caused grievous bodily harm; and incitement to the public. At the time of the trial, the defendant was working off 80 hours of community service from a previous crime. The judge disregarded the prosecutor’s wish, who requested a prison sentence for the suspect, and gave a last chance to the 31-year-old.