Startling! 8-year-old buys AK-47 from dark web in Netherlands, mother shares shocking story

A Dutch woman shockingly reveals that her 8-year-old son purchased an AK-47 from the dark web and got it delivered to their home.

Team Newsable

First Published Jul 26, 2023, 4:59 PM IST | Last Updated Jul 26, 2023, 4:59 PM IST

A human resources expert in the Netherlands, Barbara Gemen, recently shared a startling revelation about her 8-year-old son's involvement in cybercrime. The young boy had managed to purchase an AK-47 from the dark web without his mother's knowledge and even had it delivered to their home. In an interview with Euronews, Gemen disclosed that her son had developed an early interest in hacking, spending hours behind the computer, and initially making small purchases like "free" pizza on the internet.

As her son's activities escalated, he began using incomprehensible code phrases such as "Pitt is coming to our place" to conceal his dealings when his mother entered the room. Gemen learned that her son was communicating with illicit actors through online games and even being used to launder money for others. The gravity of the situation hit home when the AK-47 arrived at their doorstep, routed from Poland to Bulgaria to avoid customs.

"I think he spent a month figuring out how to order the gun and have it shipped to our home," Gemen recalled. "He opened it and he was really, really excited that he managed to get a gun delivered to our home. I was completely shocked. I immediately decided to do things differently at home."

Shocked by the discovery, Gemen promptly handed over the firearm to the local police, but no legal action was taken against her child. She noticed a significant change in her son's behaviour as he became more involved with an international group of hackers, staying up late at night and experiencing high levels of stress.

"He started to wake up at night to sit behind a computer and he was really stressed. And that's when we find out he was working with a group of international hackers." she said.

Concerned and seeking advice, Gemen approached law enforcement, but her worries were dismissed as 'exaggeration'. Determined to address the issue, she decided to educate herself in cybersecurity and is now a Cyber Special Volunteer with the Dutch Police. Gemen emphasizes the ease with which young people can engage in hacking activities today due to easy access to laptops and cell phones, and she believes it is crucial to educate them about legal and ethical boundaries.

"It's so easy these days because a lot of kids have laptops and cell phones and you can basically do a hack with a few clicks," Gemen told Euronews. "It's a quite big issue to prevent young people from hacking. They often don't know what's legal or what's illegal," she added.

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