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David Mitchell, a Scottish 48-year-old from Edinburgh, has been jailed for five years for using Bitcoin to purchase llegal firearms on the dark web.
According to Bloomberg, the Scottish man used Bitcoin to purchase a 9mm handgun with magazine, 150 rounds worth of ammunition, and a suppressor on the dark web and attempted to ship it from the United States into Scotland.
However, the package was seized at the point of exit from the US, where officers informed the National Crime Agency and Police Scotland.
The newly formed Organized Crime Partnership, a collaboration between the NCA and Police Scotland, then shipped a fake parcel the man his work address.
Once the police officers were assured that the Scottish man was in posession of the package, they stormed his house and arrested him.
Mitchell was described by Detective Inspector Tom Gillan of Police Scotland as a meek, well-mannered individual who lived alone with no partner or children.
Mitchell's laywer told the court that Mitchell had absolutely no plans to use the firearm to hurt anybody. According to the defense, he only carried out the transaction to see if it could be done.
However, in his ruling judge Lord Pentland showed no sympathy.
'You claim that you had no intention of causing harm to anyone but the fact remains that you went to considerable lengths to get hold of a potentially lethal weapon and ammunition', he said.
'You must have appreciated that this was unlawful. For this conduct you must be punished.'
Mitchell was given a five-year jail term.
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