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8 Users of Silk Road Arrested, 'Many More To Come'

An anonymous reader writes "Last week authorities shut down Silk Road, an online black market that made use of Tor to hide activity. They also arrested the site's primary operator, Ross Ulbricht, and seized his possessions. Now, an AP report indicates at least 8 more arrests have been made on people suspected to have sold drugs through the site. Four of the arrests happened in the U.K., two were in the U.S. and two were in Sweden. It looks like they're gearing up for more arrests, as well. Keith Bristow of Britain's National Crime Agency said, 'These latest arrests are just the start; there are many more to come.' Authorities are reportedly mining the site's customer review system, which contains months worth of transaction data, for further leads."

17 of 318 comments (clear)

  1. Crime by GrBear · · Score: 5, Funny

    Crime doesn't pay, but the hours are great!

    1. Re:Crime by somersault · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It doesn't pay, but being in some prisons is better than working minimum wage, and definitely better than being homeless.

      --
      which is totally what she said
    2. Re:Crime by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Speaking of Swedish prison my dad knows a guy who calms it saved his life. How? No alcohol on weekdays. But on the week ends (Swedish prison let most of the prisoners out for weekend) the guy would go drinking with one of the guards. After following this habit for a 2 years. He still no longer drink during week days.

    3. Re:Crime by SuricouRaven · · Score: 5, Informative

      More accurately: Crime is a high-risk career. If you're good at it, the pay is very good. Even just common burglary you can make thousands in one day's work. If you're not good at it though, you make nothing at all and end up in prison.

    4. Re:Crime by SJHillman · · Score: 5, Funny

      Sounds a lot like being a CEO or financial investor. If you're good at it, you can steal millions every day.

    5. Re:Crime by Forbo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Except in the finance world, you can screw people out of everything they have, get caught and STILL get your bonus.

    6. Re:Crime by SwedishPenguin · · Score: 5, Informative

      Swedish prison let most of the prisoners out for weekend

      Err, no, never heard of that. A prisoner can apply for "permission" after serving something like a third of his/her time in prison, and then they can leave prison for up to three days at a time (decided by prison administration, or, as in a recently publicized case, by a central agency on appeal), but I don't think any prisoner gets permission every weekend...

    7. Re:Crime by jmhobrien · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That's right. If it's white collar theft (public or private), then the law is on your side. In fact, the system encourages it.

      --
      Where is moderation: -1 False?
  2. Silk Road rating A-- by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Instead of weed, package contained SWAT team.

    Would not buy again.

    (with apologies to xkcd)

  3. Important to note ..... by i_want_you_to_throw_ · · Score: 5, Informative

    that this isn't a failure of the technology. Ulbricht made the mistake of allowing the feds to connect the dots. Silk Road apparently kept some kind of logs. Here's hoping you didn't buy from them.

  4. Re:Same as it ever was. by The-Ixian · · Score: 5, Informative

    Tor was developed by DARPA and is funded by the NSF and the US State Dept.
     
    I think your fears are a little unfounded.

    --
    My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
  5. With all the problems in the world... by MRe_nl · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Let's focus on recreational drugs!
    It's as if we don't want peoples attention on the real criminals.

    Sociopath plutocrats and their dogs.
    http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats

    --
    "Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"
  6. Re:I find it more interesting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I believe for the pair in Bellevue, they stupidly used their own return address on their packages, which was a PO Box. The smarter sellers use real addresses of random businesses which should be totally safe. Obviously many sellers weren't so smart or simply became complacent.

  7. Re:Queue The Anarchist & Druggie Comments In.. by wbr1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Nice troll. Buying on a black market is never good. However, the fact that our society/governmet forces one to exist, when its existance has demonstrably caused harm, created violence, gangs, addicts, and an underclass of simple users as felons, all to feed the public a boogeyman to help rake in funds for those in power and with entrenched interests is what is horrible. The fact that you probably buy it hook, line, and sinler scares me too.

    --
    Silence is a state of mime.
  8. Re:So... by SJHillman · · Score: 5, Funny

    If Japan gets involved, they'll use Samurai Jackbots.

  9. Re:Queue The Anarchist & Druggie Comments In.. by LF11 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I do not think that your hypothesis that hard drugs are bad is not necessarily correct. I invite you to learn an alternate model of addiction which may change your world a bit.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Park

    What do you think?

  10. Re:So... by Bob9113 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Anybody interesting and hilariously anti-drug in public life on the list yet, or do those get filtered out before they send in the jackboots?

    I think it goes a little like this:

    DEA Agent: So, I hear you are opposed to warrantless surveillance.
    Junior Senator: Umm, yes?
    DEA Agent: And my undertstanding is that recently you've been reconsidering your position.
    Junior Senator: No, I haven't.
    DEA Agent: See this post we have here from Silk Road where you say that BC Chronic made The Simpsons funny again?
    Junior Senator: What I meant to say was, I believe warrantless surveillance is a vital and necessary tool in our war on violent extremism.
    DEA Agent: I thought so.