New Documentary Explores Murder For Hire On The Dark Web

When we think of the dark web, most of us picture a shady and ominous place - the clue's in the name.

However, the vast majority of us have never actually visited it, or would even know how to; all we know is that its cloak of anonymity is another weapon in the modern day criminal's arsenal.

And while it can serve perfectly innocent purposes, the illegal activity taking place in the shadows may be even darker than you ever suspected.

In a new documentary, Yinka Bokinni takes a microscope to a particularly chilling corner of the dark web - murder for hire websites.

One such site was hacked, revealing a list of hundreds of people who have had hits taken out against them. And these people aren't gang members or politicians.

"This is like Joe down the road," Bokinni told LADbible. "It's me and you.

"These are regular people who are getting caught up in this dark, murky underworld."

In two-parter How To Hire A Hitman, Bokinni delves deeper into this bloodthirsty part of the web, where she finds customers forking out thousands in Bitcoin to see their enemies - and even their other halves - executed.

People can even pay extra to tailor their killing, with snipers and torture coming at a premium.

"The anonymity of it is the clincher," Bokinni said.

"It's the fact that when people think that they're not being watched, when people think that what they are doing is completely hidden, that's when the most atrocious behaviour shows itself."

But like any gripping true crime story, the tale comes with a twist - it turns out the murder for hire site is one big scam.

Time after time, hitmen get 'caught in traffic' or 'pulled over by police', with the puppet master promising the killing will definitely be carried out following the next Bitcoin transfer.

"These are very obvious scam excuses," Bokinni said.

"But when you're that desperate and that focused on causing harm to somebody, that's when I think that person is in danger, that potential victim is in danger, because you're going above and beyond.

"I mean, not only are you paying more than the asking price for this murder, you're also checking in, you're re-adding more and more money. And I think that equals a real world danger."

She added: "It's just incredible to see the reasons that people have, the excuses they come up with, and the way they justify trying to solicit murder on the dark web - that no one really understands anyway."

Indeed, while the site may be a scam, the intention to kill is very much real, and in one case explored in the documentary, the target does tragically end up being murdered.

What's more, Bokinni's investigation has convinced her that legitimate murder for hire sites do exist on the dark web.

She said: "Yes, I do [think legitimate murder for hire websites exist], because when I was talking to one of the CEOs of Tor [the browser used to access the dark web], she explained that there are something like a couple of 100,000 encrypted sites, and they don't know what's in them.

"And I think just out of sheer odds - I mean, I found five or six hitman websites that were offering services, and I thought, 'These are very easy to find.'"

She continued: "Because you know, the dark web isn't the dark web, it's just the open web. So they have Facebook, they have Instagram, they've got Twitter - but they've also got sites where you can buy a giraffe, or you can like sell an organ or whatever it might be, or you know the Silk Road type stuff and get your drugs.

"So if you have an onion site, these are like the dark websites, and they are impossible to get into unless you have a specific number.

"It's impossible to know where it is. That's where the transactions take place. That's where the criminals frolic.

"So I think, yeah, completely, just because there are too many people in the world."

How To Hire A Hitman airs back-to-back on Channel 4 from 10pm on Monday 20 June.