Ukrainian Dark Web: Weapons, Drugs and EU Documents

Almost everything can be found on the Dark Web.

The Dark Web is the anonymous part of the internet that is not indexed by ordinary search engines. One way to access it is the Tor browser, which now has more than 100 million users.

Its main purpose is to provide complete anonymity online with a guarantee of security: here users can communicate virtually with one another without fear of the law. On the Dark Web you can find almost everything, from forums on crypto-anarchy to online markets where prohibited goods can be bought.

We found out what can be found in the Ukrainian segment of the Dark Web. Unlike the Western world and even Russia, the "dark internet" in Ukraine is not yet highly developed and is mostly limited to the sale of drugs and weapons. However, Ukrainians can also make use of other "benefits" of the anonymous network: for example, purchasing documents of other countries or anonymizing bitcoins (making cryptocurrency obtained from illegal trade untraceable).

Drugs

Drugs are the most popular product on the Dark Web. For Ukrainian users of the deep internet, a separate site was created: Ukrainian Psy Community, where prohibited substances can be bought, from marijuana to heroin. Russian marketplaces also operate in Ukrainian cities, for example Russian Anonimous Marketplace (RAMP).

For example, the price of cocaine ranges from 100 to 200 dollars. Methadone can be bought from 0.5 g ($50) to 500 g ($15,000). 10 ecstasy pills cost from $50. The goods can be obtained via a drop in one of the districts of Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa and Dnipro, or delivered by Ukrposhta across the country. It is also possible to individually order delivery to CIS countries.

In addition to drugs, Ukrainians are offered a range of accessories for their use. For example, the online shop "Lyutyi Hutsul" sells handmade "caps" for smoking from Carpathian craftsmen. They cost $14, and delivery is made by Nova Poshta.

Payments for goods are made in bitcoins. Trading in anonymized cryptocurrency on the Dark Web is an entire world in itself, serving sellers of illegal goods.

On Ukrainian forums you can also find reviews of the product from buyers, in which they describe in detail its quality, the body's reaction and side effects.

Review from one of the clients

The drop was made well. Proton (the seller, ed.) is great, very communicative. We couldn't buy bananas and water for a long time. Finally, "Low Price Pharmacy" came through! We took two two-bedded bedsheets, I had a little bottle of naphthyzin. We brewed a check for two cubes. The high is very bright. Classic heroin, at such a dose even the stingy ones will appreciate it, if not in a dead bag. The bun swells within 5–10 minutes. True, it seemed to me it was too little. We all walked it off clearly! The cigarette catches up, my buddy got flowers from a grandma and went to meet his wife, and I drove on to one event.

Besides customers, drug dealers also look for employees online. Recruitment often takes place in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa and Mykolaiv. As sellers note, they only need people who understand.

"We need people who understand that this business leaves a certain mark on life. They must know about their responsibility if they want to earn real money," says one of the dealers.

In particular, the work requires stash makers and couriers. In addition to understanding all the responsibility, potential candidates are presented with a number of further requirements:

• Age 21 and over.
• Timely and high-quality completion of tasks assigned by the operator.
  
• A smartphone running Android.
  
• No dependence on narcotic substances.
  
• Responsibility, diligence, punctuality.
  
•  An apartment to which only the employee has access.
  

Candidates are also asked to have a good knowledge of the city, round-the-clock communication, literacy and a Slavic appearance. The salary is promised from $160 per week, with bonuses for good work.

Weapons

On the Western segment of the Dark Web, weapons are sold much more actively. Only one shop connected with Ukraine operates, from occupied Luhansk. The sellers call themselves a paramilitary organization that opposes the "destruction of Luhansk residents." According to them, they keep the weapons in European Union countries. The range is diverse: from pistols (45 caliber for €700) to RPGs (more than $2,000).

The sellers also assure that grenades and mines can be purchased, and promise that missiles of various ranges will soon be available for sale.

New clients must provide the sellers with references from other buyers, after which they must send exact GPS coordinates and wait for the parcel. Delivery works worldwide. For the first purchase, full prepayment is required, and for subsequent ones, 50%.

By the way, regarding weapons, the DarkWeb also contains a large number of detailed articles on this topic. For example, technical manuals on making bullets, how to transport weapons discreetly, etc. 

Documents

The Dark Web has a well-developed trade in documents of Western countries. For example, Norwegian driver's licences cost more than $1,000. A passport of a citizen of the United Kingdom will cost about $3,500.

After purchasing documents, clients send the sellers a message specifying their gender, age, high-quality biometric photos and a personal signature.

The sellers note that all passports are sold directly from the issuing authority and guarantee one hundred percent originality. At the same time, driver's licences are professional copies that contain all the necessary security features. Producing a driver's licence takes 14 days, and passports take 21. They are valid for 8–10 years.

Documents can be used in any country. However, it is recommended to avoid the country that issued the documents, since a person with these details already lives there. The sellers assure that with the obtained documents one can open bank accounts, make money transfers and travel around the world.

Data of pro-Russian terrorists

In the Ukrainian segment of the "dark internet" one can also find the site "Secret Box of the Junta", which contains data, photos, personal correspondence and so on of people who support or fight on the side of terrorists in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

For example, there is correspondence of Pavel Gubarev from two email accounts. There are also intimate photos of women from his iCloud account. Or the correspondence of the Ministry of Propaganda of the "LPR" and the Ministry of Coal Energy of the "DPR". There is also correspondence of several journalists and departments of Life.ru.

How They Fight the Dark Web

Two years ago, the European Commission formed a special group whose goal is to prevent illegal activity related to virtual currencies and the shadow internet.

It consists of fifteen members from seven European countries. It is called Titanium. They will develop technical solutions for investigating and eliminating these types of illegal activity.

At the same time, they began implementing a three-year project funded with 5 million euros, which is designed to curb criminal activity related to the dark web.

The UK Home Office allocated almost $13 million to fight the "dark internet."

Alexey Simonchuk