Cyber Crime: Unmasking and Stopping Small Arms Trafficking on the Dark Web
Dr. Christopher Copeland, Department of Criminal Justice, Tarleton State University
The development of the Dark Web as a parallel universe to the Web in the 21st century has facilitated illegal trafficking in small arms, as defined by the United Nations. The authors have used innovative investigative research methodologies to hack into the Dark Web and the sites of six gun sale sites over a six month period to identify sellers of firearms, the type and caliber of weapons for sale, their manufacturer, price in bit coin, and the principle national origins of the firearms. This is the first study of its type to unmask the illegal sale of firearms on the Dark Web.
