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Two of the biggest illegal sites were removed last week in what the US Justice Department called “one of the most important criminal investigations of the year”.

But a Daily Star Sunday investigation revealed several new markets went online within days and are now competing to fill the vacuum.

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Cybercrime investigators and police in UK, Europe and the US joined forces to close dark web sites Alphabay and Hansa.

Europol said there were 250,000 listings, 200,000 members and 40,0000 vendors on Alphabay alone, representing a vast online criminal empire.

But our probe found at least five new encrypted sites are peddling drugs and tools for fraud and hacking.

They are even secretly recruiting IT and marketing experts to build the online black markets and cash in.

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On one of the sites – which we are not naming – there were 436 listings for cannabis buds, hashish, oil and seeds.

Different varieties of cocaine were on offer, plus ecstasy, heroin and prescription pills.

One listing selling a gram of pure Afghan heroin for £150 came with a note saying: “Tried and True. Remember, you get what you pay for. Product has been lab tested for purity and is free of contaminants."

Another advert for super strength orange Tesla ecstasy, made in Holland but sold from the UK, was offering 50 tablets for £135.

The vendor promised “strong pills”, advising “take half first”.

Another crook was selling fake biometric passports for £4,000, work visas and false certificates for passing the British Citizenship Test.

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Anonymous buyers who purchase the contraband using online currency Bitcoin can also get fake university degrees.

Another site had listings for “drugs, counterfeits, jewellery and gold, software and malware, fraud and security”.

It also offered guides on “how to ride Uber for free”, and “how to successfully pass a drugs test”.

Tony Sales, who made a fortune exploiting the dark web, said the sale of illicit goods and stolen details on encrypted sites will never be stopped.

The former cyber criminal, who now heads up website WeFightFraud.org, told the Daily Star Sunday: “As long as there is demand there will always be supply.

“Yes the FBI and the National Crime Agency have pulled off a big scalp by bringing down Alphabay and Hansa but the reality is there are still so many dark web marketplaces out there that haven’t been touched.

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“Drugs, guns, vile paedophilia and terror guides are still very much alive on the hidden web, and to stop the sale of these kind of illicit goods is pretty much impossible.

“There’s now a vacuum that’s been created by this takedown and it will be filled.

“As the Daily Star Sunday has revealed, it’s already started.”