As a outcome of a six-month articulation investigation betwixt the the States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Australian Federal Police (AFP) as well as Australian Customs as well as Border Protection Service (ACBPS), constabulary enforcement agencies charged iv Australians amongst attempts to purchase illegal firearms as well as arrested 17 Dark Web buyers as well as merchants across Europe as well as North America.
Following the arrests from the undercover operation, all firearms, ballistic armor, as well as illicit drugs were seized as well as approximately $80,000 USD worth of bitcoin was confiscated.
In September of 2014, the articulation investigation betwixt the constabulary enforcement agencies inwards the the States as well as Commonwealth of Australia focused on the illicit merchandise of firearms via the Dark Web which led to the identification of an online alias trace concern human relationship for a 33-year-old human being inwards Montana.
The performance officially began every bit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security received relevant data from the ACBPS. In the same calendar month every bit the investigation, HIS initiated a surreptitious performance amongst an online alias account. HIS was able to put Australian suspects attempting to engage inwards illicit trading of firearms.
Two months after, AFP partnered amongst HIS to instigate some other surreptitious performance targeting the Australian suspects.
As a utilisation of the operation, HIS as well as AFP manipulated the surreptitious trace concern human relationship to consummate 6 deals over Dark Web markets, which allowed them to put the addresses of the buyers.
After identifying the addresses, HIS as well as AFP received xv search warrants inwards Feb as well as March of 2015, as well as seized almost of the items inwards the addresses including iv illegal firearms, ammunition, steroids, figurer equipment as well as mobile telephones. Supported past times the Queensland Police Service as well as Australian State as well as Territory Law Enforcements, the performance filed 34 charges against the individuals involved.
“Disrupting the render of illegal firearms remains a priority for the AFP, as well as the success of this performance is some other event of the results that tin endure achieved through cross-agency collaboration,” said Steve Lancaster, ACBPS national manager of investigations as well as assistant commissioner. This surreptitious performance was the almost successful Dark Web investigation inwards the history of Australia, he added.
“People using these sites should non endure fooled past times claims of online anonymity,” he said. “Each transaction builds upwards a global spider web of tidings which international partners are using to target you.”
Due to the success inwards the recent surreptitious operation, Australian constabulary enforcement volition proceed to target illicit online trades, peculiarly firearms, amongst a rigid back upwards from national as well as international constabulary enforcement partners.