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BBC News
By Angus Crawford
31 July 2014
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28242662
By Angus Crawford
31 July 2014
The number of listings offering illegal drugs for sale on the "dark net" appears to have more than doubled in less than a year, BBC News has learned. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) closed down the original online illegal drug market, Silk Road, in 2013. But new figures suggest the trade has actually increased since then. And other research indicates one in four British drug users has accessed hidden websites.
'Big problem'
In October 2013, there were 18,174 drugs listings across four main markets, according to the internet safety organisation Digital Citizens Alliance, based in the US. A recent trawl of the dark net by BBC News revealed there were now 43,175 listings across 23 markets. In this context, the term "dark net" refers to parts of the internet that cannot be reached easily unless specialised software is used. Its content is hidden from conventional search engines such as Google and Bing. Commonly used apps such as Instagram, WhatsApp and Evernote - whose content does not show up in search results either - are not covered by the term.
Britain's National Crime Agency recognises the drug trade on the dark net is a threat. "It's a big problem," says Caroline Young, deputy director of the NCA's Organised Crime Command. In our threat assessment we have cocaine and heroin as a high priority, and because it's cyber-enabled that makes it even more of a high priority."
However, she said the figures might be misleading. The numbers of vendors in the UK has reduced by 40%, each vendor may have more than one listing," she says.
One internet safety campaigner was concerned by the findings. "We still think the internet can be a wonderful tool for consumers and businesses, but we do worry good people and companies get caught up in the web spun by criminals and rogue operators," said Adam Benson, deputy executive director of Digital Citizens Alliance. That will slowly erode the trust and confidence we have in the internet."
More...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28242662