Darknet markets are increasingly being used to facilitate the trade of illicit drugs and fraudulent identity data. Despite this, the processes underlying such trading remain poorly understood, as does how best to disrupt these activities. The aim of this study was to use Event Analysis of Systemic Teamwork (EAST) to describe the task, social, and information networks involved in the buying and selling of illicit goods on a Darknet market. The results demonstrated that many elements of Darknet market activity interact and targeting any one of these elements may result in a variety of disruptive outcomes. This study has implications for understanding the complexity of the Darknet market ecosystem and its vulnerability to disruption.
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