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The Drug's in the Mail - The Silk Road and our very own Tronica!

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Sorry, just got a PM about it and did a search on google then on here to see what it is, never heard of it before..
 
An Australian drug dealer has become the first person to be convicted of a Silk Road-related crime

An Australian drug dealer has become the first person to be convicted of a Silk Road-related crime, after using the black marketplace to buy a stash of MDMA, amphetamine, marijuana and cocaine.

People can buy goods from Silk Road only by connecting with the anonymising Tor network and using Bitcoins. The marketplace has very few restrictions on what people can sell, but is largely used for trading drugs. An August 2012 study by security researchers at Carnegie Mellon University revealed that the Silk Road trades items worth £1.22 million every month.

According to a report in The Age Paul Leslie Howard used Silk Road to buy and import the illicit drugs on 11 different occasions. Australian Customs and Border Protection Service officers in Melbourne and Sydney examined mail -- most of which came from the Netherlands and Germany -- destined for his home. They found 46.9 grammes of MDMA and 14.5 grammes of cocaine. The federal police then raided his house in July 2012 and found digital scales, ziplock bags, $2,300 (£2,000) in cash, 35 stun guns disguised as mobile phones and a money counter. They also found two working mobile phones, and forensically analysed more than 20,000 text messages. In amongst them were incriminating texts such as "I got five grand worth if you want" and "promote the LSD I got more in. I sold 200 cubes last week".

Howard has pleaded guilty to two charges of "importing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug", which carries a maximum jail term of 25 years. He also pleaded guilty to possessing controlled weapons. During the trial he said that he had been drawn to the site after reading an article by a journalist called Eileen Ormsby, who regularly covers the Silk Road in Australian newspapers. Since Howard's conviction, the Silk Road has warned its users via its Twitter account not to follow their feed nor the feed of Ormsby with their real names.

Prosecutor Morgan Brown made it clear that the authorities had a lot of information about Howard from the Silk Road, including access to his profile, which he registered under the name Shadh1 in April 2012. He set up a vendor's account offering up cocaine and speed and saying that he is looking to "branch into more as I get more coin back in my pocket".

At the time of Howard's arrest, the Australian Federal Police and the Customs and Border Protection Service issued a warning to any would-be drug traders using supposedly anonymous marketplaces such as the Silk Road saying they could be identified by police techniques.

AFP manager of crime operations Peter Sykora said in a statement: "Criminals are attempting to exploit the international mail system through online networks, but the recent arrest demonstrates that we are one step ahead of them. The AFP will continue to identify, investigate and prosecute individuals or groups importing narcotics into Australia, including via illicit ecommerce platforms such as Silk Road."

Australian police aren't the only ones to crack down on the Silk Road. The DEA in the United States is also on the warpath, targeting similar sites such as the Farmer's Market. In July 2012 the organisation told a US news station KXAN that it was investigating the Silk Road and in November 2012, DEA spokesperson Rusty Payne told The Verge when quizzed on the Silk Road: "Typically we're not really giving out investigative updates about what we're doing, but it's safe to say we are heavily involved in looking into that." In the UK, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and the Metropolitan Police E-Crime unit have also been digging into the marketplace.

However, despite all of these investigations, the conviction rate isn't looking all that promising for law enforcement.
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http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-02/01/silk-road-crackdown
 
"Criminals are (successfully) attempting to exploit the international mail system through online networks, but the (ONE) recent arrest demonstrates that we are one step ahead of them."

lolz
 
Thanks Mister..Here's the ages's article on it from 4 days ago that the above article refers to -

Secret website harboured drugs smorgasbord, court hears

A judge has expressed fears about a secretive eBay-like online marketplace a man used to buy illegal drugs for his "smorgasbord" trafficking operation.
Melbourne's County Court heard the black-market Silk Road had been described as a "certifiable one-stop shop" for illicit drugs.

Consumers protected by anonymity browsed catalogues of substances on Silk Road and users were given positive or negative ratings by other users based on their dealings.
Prosecutor Morgan Brown told the court the website was accessed by software designed to enable online anonymity and a digital "virtual currency", Bitcoin, was used to buy goods.

Judge Damien Murphy commented that anyone with a computer could access the website and he added: "Any kid short of money can become a part-time drug importer."
Judge Murphy on Wednesday described Paul Leslie Howard – who used Silk Road to import cocaine, MDMA and amphetamine and trafficked those drugs and also LSD, methamphetamine and marijuana – as operating a "smorgasbord drug-market operation".

He said Howard, 32, was a "like a street vendor with a smorgasbord out the front of his house" or with a garage sale "but in this case it's on the internet".
In what could be the first prosecution with Silk Road a major player, Ms Brown told the court that in two months from March last year Howard imported drugs 11 times.
Ms Brown said Australian Customs and Border Protection Service officers in Melbourne and Sydney examined mail articles addressed to Howard at his Brunswick West home.
Most were sent from the Netherlands; two were from Germany.

The total pure weight of MDMA was 46.9 grams and the pure weight of cocaine 14.5 grams.
Australian Federal Police members who raided Howard's home on July 12 found various amounts of marijuana and items that included digital scales, clip seal bags, $2300 cash, a money counter and 35 stun guns disguised as mobile phones.
Ms Brown said a later forensic analysis of two authentic mobile phones found 10,700 messages on one and 9700 on the other.

She told the court the analysis revealed incriminating text messages that included "I got 5 grand worth if you want", " ... promote the LSD I got more in. I sold 200 cubes last week" and "no cubes left atm but some other 'things' u might like!".
Ms Brown said Silk Road was an online "marketplace with similar characteristics to eBay" that Howard registered an account with in April until July 17.
She quoted an example of a post he made when he wrote: "Hey guys, I'm just starting out here. I'm Aus based and only shipping to Aus as not to roach on anyone's turf.
"I'll be basically doing dutch (sic) speed and Peruvian Charlie to start and branch into more as I get coin back in my pocket.

"I source from both sr and non sr vendors but I prefer the sr system as far as selling is concerned! So yeah that's me story and I'm keen for any tips or just some chat from you guys as I'm still learning!"
Defence barrister JJ Jassar tendered an article on Silk Road by Melbourne writer, journalist and blogger Eiley Ormsby from which he said Howard found the website.
Mr Jassar told Judge Murphy that Ms Ormsby was in court and that her piece – Silk Road: The eBay of Illegal Drugs – was the first views on the website by a journalist.
(Ms Ormsby later told Fairfax Media the piece was published in October).

Mr Jassar said Howard also viewed a YouTube video and bought from the website after he "put himself out there as a purchaser" and that he had to "prove himself for people to be able to supply him".
Under increasing financial pressure after he was forced to close an unrelated business website and with his wife not working, Howard made the "naive, stupid and foolish" decision to import and deal drugs, he said.
Mr Jassar described Howard's involvement as without sophistication, complexity or any real planning.

His tearful wife told Judge Murphy she faced returning to the US if her husband was jailed because she could not work or support herself.
In her sentencing submissions, Ms Brown said a maximum term of three to five years with a minimum term of two to three years was within the range.

Howard pleaded guilty to two charges of importing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug – which carries a maximum of 25 years jail – and to trafficking controlled drugs.
Howard, who also pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing 32 controlled weapons, was remanded in custody for sentencing next week.
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http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/s...s-smorgasbord-court-hears-20130131-2dlw3.html
 
TangerinO said:
"Criminals are (successfully) attempting to exploit the international mail system through online networks, but the (ONE) recent arrest demonstrates that we are one step ahead of them."

lolz
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There's been some more recent arrests as well as this one (the 2 aus brothers, and a NZ guy and probably more) but I guess this guy is the first to goto court over it (apparently).

But yeah that quote is a crock of shit obviously, the amount of money the site is making and the amount of users who must be using it seems to 'demonstrate' that they are not one step ahead at all, and are infact only busting a tiny % of users of SR.
 
We might start seeing a few "examples" being made now to make it seem like LE are winning and then it will all die down and SR will go on as if nothing ever happened
 
I find it all quite amusing. Would be heroes think they can make a fortune off SR by importing large quantities of stuff from flagged countries because they found some untapped goldmind in a public article.

It's guys like this that need to be made example of. Things like SR shouldn't be exploited more than for personal use amounts.... If he has a clean record though I reckon his whole sentence will be suspended most likely.
 
MrIbis said:
I find it all quite amusing. Would be heroes think they can make a fortune off SR by importing large quantities of stuff from flagged countries because they found some untapped goldmind in a public article.

It's guys like this that need to be made example of. Things like SR shouldn't be exploited more than for personal use amounts.... If he has a clean record though I reckon his whole sentence will be suspended most likely.
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spot on mate
 
MrIbis said:
I find it all quite amusing. Would be heroes think they can make a fortune off SR by importing large quantities of stuff from flagged countries because they found some untapped goldmind in a public article.

It's guys like this that need to be made example of. Things like SR shouldn't be exploited more than for personal use amounts.... If he has a clean record though I reckon his whole sentence will be suspended most likely.
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Do you remember when you were interviewed on Today Tonight regarding the importation of 4-MMC? That was a while ago now. Good to see you back around here again Z.
 
poledriver said:
There's been some more recent arrests as well as this one (the 2 aus brothers, and a NZ guy and probably more) but I guess this guy is the first to goto court over it (apparently).

But yeah that quote is a crock of shit obviously, the amount of money the site is making and the amount of users who must be using it seems to 'demonstrate' that they are not one step ahead at all, and are infact only busting a tiny % of users of SR.
Click to expand...

They'll always catch stupid people. I just find it so amusing that it's the job of the media to make it seem like one thing is happening in order the save face for the police, when really the opposite is happening.

When you look at the whole scenario, it's a clear picture of technology rapidly outgrowing societal "values" and the police, media and all these other authoritative figures are forced to play the game of shining shit and calling it gold.
 
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