This work examines the network structure of illicit marketplaces that operate on the darknet. These on-line marketplaces are crawled to obtain data of inter-user communications and this data is...Show moreThis work examines the network structure of illicit marketplaces that operate on the darknet. These on-line marketplaces are crawled to obtain data of inter-user communications and this data is parsed in a network structure and its physical properties are analysed. The Configuration Model is used as a null model to investigate the patterns in these networks to reveal information about their topology. This information is applied to interpret the behaviour of users within these illegal marketplaces.Show less
The tools and means of the illicit drug trade change over time due to technological innovation. Consequently, the trade in illicit drugs nowadays also occurs on the dark net – that part of the...Show moreThe tools and means of the illicit drug trade change over time due to technological innovation. Consequently, the trade in illicit drugs nowadays also occurs on the dark net – that part of the internet that is intentionally hidden and requires specific privacy enhancing software to gain access. As a result, governments and law enforcement agencies are faced with a new phenomenon. Several scholars and EU reports have called for a new approach. With this thesis, the application of the current European Framework on illicit drugs is applied to three characteristics of the illicit drug trade on the dark net: the lack of borders, its dependency on conventional postal services and the level of anonymity. This study found that the consequences of these characteristics in the field of jurisdiction, controlled deliveries and privacy do not necessarily constitute problems for the application of the current EU Framework on the illicit drug trade on the dark net.Show less
