In two years, the drug traffickers made around USD 5 million worth of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The judge said that the men were selling class A drugs that they bought in South America.

In recent days, a UK court sentenced two men to 13 and 10 years’ imprisonment, respectively. They were selling large amounts of cocaine that they bought in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia for Bitcoin on the dark web. The judge found the alleged leader of the operation Jehanzeb Amar and his partner Salahydin Warsame guilty of drug trafficking in England.

The drug traffickers made around USD 5 million worth of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for their activities over two years. They used the dark web sites LetsWork and TheOnlyLw for their wholesale and retail commercial operations. Buyers had to make payments using cryptocurrencies, according to digital media from the UK.

Undercover Police Officers Arrest Men Who Were Selling Drugs for Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies

Undercover police officers arrested the two men, both 29, who were in possession of large amounts of drugs. The officers recovered heroin, thousands of LSD pills, and GBP 30,000 in cash (equivalent to USD 41,500).

One year ago, a police officer detected pictures of drugs for sale, which led to the beginning of the undercover operations. After that, the police managed to detect that a reference to “new Boly” (cocaine from Bolivia) appeared on one of the websites. Likewise, they found other posts promoting “class A” drugs from Colombia and Peru.

Warsame’s arrest occurred on July 20th, 2020 when he was in his Volkswagen Caddy. At the time, he was heading to the post office with 61 packages, which he intended to send to customers in England and Wales. In Amar’s case, his arrest occurred during a raid on a place that served as a “factory to prepare drugs for sale.”

No one yet has information on the seizure of the bitcoins, and other cryptocurrencies involved in the illegal activity. Several studies have shown that the use of Bitcoin in illegal activities is not as extensive as many think. In fact, it hardly represents less than 1% of the total flow in the market.

When a Big Market on the Dark Web Dies, Several Smaller Ones Are Born

According to an investigation, when a market on the dark web closes, most of its users migrate to the market that follows in terms of the trading volume. That shows that demand is what keeps these dark markets alive.

Last January, Europol closed the illegal market classified as the largest on the dark web. The authorities disconnected their servers after arresting an Australian who was allegedly trading drugs, malware and other illegal goods through the platform.

The transactions conducted in this black market generated a total amount that exceeded USD 150 million worth of Bitcoin and Monero. However, while authorities have closed the largest websites in terms of trading volume, hundreds serving smaller markets have emerged.

By Alexander Salazar

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