Alphabay Gun Seller Receives Just 5 Months in Austrian Jail

At the end of October, Spain’s Civil Guard arrested a former weapons dealer from the dark web marketplace Alphabay. Working with Europol, international law enforcement agencies also arrested six of the supplier’s customers. The investigation revealed that the 24-year-old dealer had supplied weapons to at least 30 clients in 11 countries.

Just days after the arrest, a Salzburg judge sentenced a 26-year-old buyer who had purchased weapons and spare parts from the detained dealer. The Salzburg prosecutor charged the 26-year-old man with violating firearms laws, specifically for allegedly purchasing and distributing an AK-47 and at least five Glocks.

According to prosecutors, the man created a buyer account on an unidentified darknet market back in 2015. He “repeatedly” ordered both weapons and various parts from sellers in Spain and the United States. Judge Günther Nocker sentenced the man to five months in prison, taking into account charges related to weapons trafficking in other countries.

Previous Convictions and Ongoing Investigations

For example, last year a Bavarian court sentenced the same man to two years in prison for both purchasing and selling illegal firearms. Reports say the man had a “weakness” for weapons. Judge Nocker issued the five-month sentence as an additional penalty to the 2016 Bavarian conviction.

According to prosecutors, the defendant supplied weapons to clients in Tyrol and the Netherlands. As with the supplier’s arrest in Spain, his customers are likely to be identified if they haven’t been already. To catch the buyers, Spain’s Civil Guard worked with the German Customs Investigation Bureau, metropolitan police, Cyprus police, and Europol.

While six buyers were identified and arrested during the operation, Europol likely learned of many more; reportedly, they knew of at least 30 clients. The weapons supplier claimed in their Dream Market profile to be “one of the most important weapons suppliers on Alphabay.” They allegedly made 270 sales on Alphabay. The seller’s last online activity on the marketplace was October 6, and the account has since been frozen.

Further Arrests After Sentencing

After the Salzburg sentencing, law enforcement also arrested two more men for their involvement in the weapons distribution network.