Lots of crazy stuff happen on the dark web on a daily basis.
The brains behind a highly sophisticated drug trafficking network was sentenced in federal court in Boston on Friday for making and distributing a variety of banned narcotics via the dark web.
Binh Thanh Le, 25, of Brockton, Massachusetts is a darknet club drug kingpin who sold ecstasy, generic Xanax, and ketamine through a difficult-to-access internet marketplace.
Le is the leader and organizer of the very profitable darknet market called “EastSideHigh.”
Hiding In The Dark Web
The term “dark web” refers to unindexed online content that is encrypted.
Access to the dark web is restricted to certain browsers, such as the TOR Browser.
When compared to ordinary websites, the dark web provides far more privacy and anonymity.
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As a result, when people think of the dark web, the majority of their attention is focused on online drug marketplaces, data trades, and other nefarious activities.
Despite this, there are frequently extremely genuine reasons for people to use the dark web, including political dissidents and those seeking to maintain sensitive information’s privacy.
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A Young Online Drug Kingpin
Le was only 22 years old when he launched the EastSideHigh darknet storefront.
For a time, the business was a resounding success. Le had amassed nearly 60 Bitcoins — which were valued approximately $2.3 million as of Saturday, a significant increase from the $200,000 it was worth when US federal agents seized access to his electronic wallet in a March 2019 sting operation at a Norwood hotel.
More than 19 kilograms of ecstasy, nearly 7 kilograms of Ketamine, nearly a kilogram of cocaine and more than 10,000 counterfeit Xanax pills were confiscated from his possession.
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Rachael Rollins, the US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, stated:
“As a result of our law enforcement colleagues’ tremendous efforts, there is one less cybercriminal hiding in the shadows.”
Along with the funds mentioned above, Le had more than $114,000 in cash and earned over $42,000 from the sale of a second-hand vehicle.
Le acquired substantial quantities of drugs via the mail from international sources, according to court records.
US authorities said the drugs were sold on the dark web and transported to consumers throughout the United States.
In addition to Le, his co-conspirators — Allante Pires and Steven McCall — imported enormous quantities of drugs from overseas sources and pressed pills for resale.
Le pleaded guilty last September and has been sentenced to eight years in prison.
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