UK first in Europe for online sales of illicit drugs

Darknet. It sounds scary and it kind of is. Even though this part of the internet is often used by ordinary citizens and whistleblowers conscious of their privacy rights, it is also home to questionable and indeed illegal content and activity. According to RAND Europe's research, illegal drug transactions on cryptomarkets have tripled since 2013 with revenues doubling.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the United States is the world's hotspot for online sales of illicit drugs with 890 vendors making an estimated $5 million every month. 338 vendors were identified in the UK with a monthly turnover of about $2.3 million, a considerable distance ahead of third-placed Australia.