- A report has found that Aussies are using the dark web to buy firearms overseas
- Countries such as Canada, US, Asia and South America are shipping to Australia
- A used pistol is sold for as little as $218 while machine guns can go for thousands
- Users are also buying and downloading instructions on how to build explosives
A recent report backed by the United Nations has revealed Australian are buying firearms and explosives on the ‘dark web’.
Research gathered by RAND Europe found that Australians are buying and selling guns and grenades, as well as downloading instructions on how to make bombs from overseas sellers.
Further investigation revealed that Australians are accessing 12 main crypto markets (encrypted websites) with 167,000 illegal product listings.
Australians are reportedly using the dark web to purchase firearms and explosives overseas
Sellers are reportedly shipping the dismantled firearms in separate parcels to avoid detection
This is the largest study into online firearm sales, which has found that more than 800 ‘arms-related products’ were available to buy over a six-day timeframe.
Researchers said the majority of guns came from the US but said the ‘overwhelming majority of listings’ offered worldwide shipping, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Findings suggest that there are 11 listings from Australian-based illegal arms dealers, but that the majority of purchases are being made from sellers in Europe, Canada, the US, Asia and South America who ship to Australia.
Prices range from $218 for a second-hand pistol to $2495 for a sub-machine gun.
Sellers reportedly employ ‘special shipping techniques’ to avoid detection such as taking the weapons apart and shipping the pieces in different parcels.
Another popular method for disguising firearm postage is to hide the parts inside electronics such as televisions or printers.
Prices on the dark web range from $218 for a used pistol to $2495 for a large sub-machine gun
The foiled terrorist plot to bring down a plane earlier this year planned on using an improvised explosive using components allegedly posted from Turkey.
The report surmised that the most popular item on the black market is are guns, followed by instruction manuals explaining how to ‘manufacture firearms and instructions on how to print guns at home using 3D printers’ which can be purchased for as little as $1.30
‘While guides and manuals on how to make bombs are home were illegally circulating on the web well before the establishment of cryptomarkets, the level of accessibility provided by these platforms represents reason for high concern among policy makers and practitioners,’ the report concluded.