Abstract
Since the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS, also known as Daesh and ISIL) in 2014, antiquities have been a widely publicized source of funding for what has become one of the most technologically savvy terrorist organizations of the modern era. The globalization of technology and rise of popularity in cryptocurrencies has changed the face of black-market trade and the actors that carry out these crimes. While art and antiquities have long served as a market with susceptibilities to laundering, the emergence of Dark Web markets, identification-masking software, and untraceable cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have opened new doors to potential vulnerabilities. The anonymity that is offered by these technologies acts as a roadblock for authorities, while attracting the likes of terrorists and transnational criminals. Investigative research using cyber security platforms to identify digital artifacts connected to potential traffickers provides the opportunity to unmask the seemingly untraceable actors behind these activities. The evidence of illicit antiquities trafficking on the Dark Web displayed in this article can generate a new discussion on how and where to study black-market antiquities to gain needed insight into combating the illicit trade online and the transnational criminal groups it may finance.
Highlights
Art and antiquities are often a frequent target of theft, looting, and trafficking by organized criminals and violent extremists
The highest number of crypto wallet holders based on the data available in this study—51 percent—are based in Europe (31 percent) and North America (30 percent) (Hileman and Rauchs 2017, pp. 29, 54). While terrorist organizations such as ISIS and other transnational criminal groups may be accepting Bitcoin for antiquities, a large portion of individuals trading in the currency and holding crypto wallets are likely coming from western countries in North America and Europe
Blockchain, the technology behind online currencies such as Bitcoin, and the concept of a digital currency that is untamperable and unregulated has been criticized for the opportunities it may present to criminals and terrorist groups (Chester 2015), it should be noted that this technology holds new potential for cyber security investigations, including efforts in the fight against terrorism and trafficking
Summary
Art and antiquities are often a frequent target of theft, looting, and trafficking by organized criminals and violent extremists. The grey nature of the art market (Mackenzie and Yates 2016) allows for antiquities to be laundered through online sales, falsified documentation, and underground person-to-person trade (May 2017) Terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS, known as Daesh and ISIL) have used the trafficking of illicit antiquities from the Middle East and. By scanning online forums and communications networks for key antiquities trafficking terms, heritage experts and authorities can begin crawling the Deep Web and the Dark Web for digital artifacts related to illicit online activities These artifacts can be sourced from information left from any number of Deep and Dark Web sources, from transactions through cryptocurrency to communications on encrypted messaging apps. Combining methodologies of new cyber forensics with those used to track similar illicit online trades such as wildlife, authorities may be able to get a better understanding of the reach of online antiquities trafficking networks and develop targeted strategies to combat them
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