Australian police surveillance, Dutch police undercover, suspect who tried to buy guns via dark web caught

The Public Prosecution Service has requested a six-month prison sentence, half of which is suspended, for a 45-year-old from Delfzijl. The suspect was tipped off by Australian police when he tried to buy illegal weapons on the dark web.

Australian police noticed through monitoring the dark web that the man was looking for weapons on the dark web, the underground part of the Internet. This was clear from the email traffic of the suspect, who has Slovenian citizenship.

Deployment of undercover agents

After being notified by the Australian police, the Dutch police arranged for an undercover police officer to pretend to be an arms dealer selling firearms. For 1,500 euros, the man was given a Beretta 92FS pistol. Police lured the suspect into an appointment with the undercover agent in July 2020 in the parking lot of a hotel in Zwolle, where the man was arrested prior to the alleged arms deal.

"An obsession with weapons."

When he was arrested, 1,500 euros in cash and his cell phone were seized. His phone contained 300 photos of guns, including brands such as Beretta and Glock. According to experts, he was "obsessed with guns."

Shooting club member

The man has been living in the Netherlands since 2019, settled in Delfzijl, and is an independent entrepreneur. In Slovenia, he is active in shooting sports, for which he has a license in that country. During the hearing, the suspect stated that he was not aware of the Dutch laws and regulations regarding weapons.

Regularly doing business

The public prosecutor took this as proof that the man wanted to do business. He showed up in Zwolle with money in his pocket, and he told the undercover agent that he wanted to buy more guns and do more business.

The suspect said at the hearing that he had learned his lesson: "It was stupid, and my curiosity about guns has completely disappeared. "

Blank criminal record

His lawyer asked the court to consider her client's clean criminal record and his living and working situation: "This poses a danger in the context of a prison sentence."

He will not be able to get the money back in his pocket and the verdict will be delivered in two weeks.