Robot That Bought Ecstasy On Dark Web Freed By Police After Three Months

The Random Darknet Shopper had bought 10 yellow pills containing 90mg of ecstasy each as part of artists’ experiment

A robot that bought illegal drugs, a passport and a spy camera online has been freed by Swiss authorities after three months in captivity.

The robot, named Random Darknet Shopper, went on a ‘crime’ spree after being given $100 worth of bitcoins every week as part of an art show in Switzerland.

10 yellow pills

It had been programmed to use the dark web to make any purchases it desired. Its shopping basket included 10 yellow pills containing 90mg of ecstasy each, a Hungarian passport, a baseball cap fitted with a spy camera, counterfeit Diesel jeans and 200 Chesterfield cigarettes and

robot in handcuffsOn completion of the art show, the robot and its purchases were confiscated by Swiss police while the artists were not charged with any crimes.

The robot was finally released last week after three months ‘jail time’. “This is a great day for the bot, for us and for freedom of art,” the artists commented on their website.

Although the drugs confiscated were destroyed by the police, all other items the robot bought were deemed legal purchases.

The artists added: “The public prosecutor states that the possession of ecstasy was indeed a reasonable means for the purpose of sparking public debate about questions related to the exhibition.

“The public prosecution also asserts that the overweighing interest in the questions raised by the art work Random Darknet Shopper justify the exhibition of the drugs as artifacts, even if the exhibition does hold a small risk of endangerment of third parties through the drugs exhibited”

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