The Dark Web and the future of illicit drug markets

Mohamed Chawki ()
Additional contact information
Mohamed Chawki: Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS)

Journal of Transportation Security, 2022, vol. 15, issue 3, No 4, 173-191

Abstract: Abstract Information and communication technologies (ICTs), particularly the internet, have transformed almost every aspect of human life. While most of the breakthroughs in this area have offered great benefits, unintended negative consequences have also resulted. One example of the latter is the surge in illicit drug trafficking using the dark web and other internet-based techniques. Two key reasons for this surge are the anonymity of offenders and the diversity of internet-based trading platforms. Recent developments have shown that cybercriminals have made considerable use of the dark web to expand illicit drug trafficking globally, which has become a source of concern. According to global surveys, a substantial percentage of participants confessed to buying illicit drugs online. Law enforcement agencies are constantly undertaking surveillance operations to track and disrupt mass criminals and prevent crime on the dark web. The closure of major online drug trafficking platforms, on the other hand, has a minimal long-term impact on drug sales on the dark web market because customers and suppliers migrate to other trade platforms and overall sales eventually recover, highlighting the importance of a technologically robust intergovernmental regulatory framework. In this context, this article seeks to address and analyze the following issues: First, we provide an overview of Bitcoin and blockchain technology. Second, we explain the methods of purchasing drugs over the dark web. Finally, the paper concludes by discussing the future of the Dark Web and will propose some solutions and recommendations to regulate drug trafficking over the dark web.

Keywords: Dark web; Drug trafficking; Cryptocurrencies; Blockchain; Cybercrime (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12198-022-00252-y Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:jtrsec:v:15:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s12198-022-00252-y

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/journal/12198

DOI: 10.1007/s12198-022-00252-y

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Transportation Security is currently edited by Andrew Thomas

More articles in Journal of Transportation Security from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().