Drug Trafficking on the Dark Web

Drug Trafficking on the Dark Web

From True Crime Reports by Al Jazeera

August 24, 2025 · 40 min · Season 1 · Episode 17

About this episode

This episode explores the rise and fall of Ross Ulbricht and the implications of his actions on the justice system.

Ross Ulbricht built an empire in the shadows—a sprawling digital bazaar called The Silk Road, hidden on the dark web. There, drugs, weapons, and stolen secrets flowed freely, all paid for in untraceable cryptocurrency. To his global clientele, he was a legend: the Dread Pirate Roberts. But after a dramatic arrest and a staggering double life sentence, Ulbricht’s fate took another twist. Just days into his second term, President Trump pardoned him, sparking outrage and debate. So, did he deserve his punishment? Did justice prevail, or was power at play? And how did a digital outlaw become the ultimate wild card in America’s justice system? True Crime Reports is nominated for the Signal Awards for Most Innovative Video Podcast and Best True Crime Podcast. While we wait for the judges' decisions, you can help us win the listeners' vote.   Vote True Crime Reports for Best True Crime Podcast. In this episode:  Nicholas Cristin ( @nc2y ), Online Crime Professor at Carnegie Mellon University David Yaffe-Bellany ( @yaffebellany) , Technology Reporter for the New York Times Episode credits:  This episode was written and produced by Anna…

People in this episode

Host: Halla Mohieddeen

Guests: Nicholas Cristin, David Yaffe-Bellany

Topics covered

  • drug trafficking
  • dark web
  • digital crime
  • justice system
  • Silk Road
  • cryptocurrency
  • pardon

Keywords

  • Ross Ulbricht
  • Silk Road
  • dark web
  • drug trafficking
  • cryptocurrency
  • pardon
  • justice
  • digital crime

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Carnegie Mellon University, New York Times, True Crime Reports

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