An Australian drug dealer has become

An Australian drug dealer has become the first person to beconvicted of a Silk Road-related crime, after using the blackmarketplace to buy a stash of MDMA, amphetamine, marijuana andcocaine.

People can buy goods from Silk Road only by connecting with the anonymising Tor networkand using  Bitcoins. The marketplace has very few restrictions on whatpeople can sell, but is largely used for trading drugs. An August2012 study by security researchers at Carnegie Mellon Universityrevealed that the Silk Road trades items worth ?1.22 million everymonth.

According to a report in The Age Paul Leslie Howard used Silk Road to buy andimport the illicit drugs on 11 different occasions. AustralianCustoms and Border Protection Service officers in Melbourne andSydney examined mail -- most of which came from the Netherlands andGermany -- destined for his home. They found 46.9 grammes of MDMAand 14.5 grammes of cocaine. The federal police then raided hishouse in July 2012 and found digital scales, ziplock bags, $2,300(?2,000) in cash, 35 stun guns disguised as mobile phones and amoney counter. They also found two working mobile phones, andforensically analysed more than 20,000 text messages. In amongstthem were incriminating texts such as I got five grand worth ifyou want and promote the LSD I got more in. I sold 200 cubes lastweek.