The Rise of an Empire, Dream Gives Way to Nightmare: Tracking Illicit Drug Trafficking Routes on the Dark Web

Over the past few years, multiple dark web marketplaces have been taken offline by law enforcement, exit scams, or mismanagement. However, there remain a handfulof popular marketplaces that continue to operate on the dark web, offering a varietyof illicit goods and services, however drugs remain the most common products sold. The listings on these marketplaces, however, have remained relatively obscure and unknown to the general public. Understanding the market dynamics and choke points of these marketplaces can help analysts in researching these areas of the dark web, policy makers in changing laws or regulations that may permit the sale of drugs online, and law enforcement in supporting current and building future investigations.