Once known as a modern trade route from Asia to Africa and Europe, the name "Silk Road" has been redefined in modern times for its association with a popular online black market that sells drugs and other contraband.
For two-and-a-half years starting in January 2011, Silk Road operated in a shadowy corner of the deep web. The site was thrust into the spotlight last October, when the FBI broke up what it called the "most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet." Silk Road reportedly facilitated $1.2 billion worth of transactions.
On the same day the FBI seized Silk Road, agents arrested Ross William Ulbricht, who the agency claims owned and operated Silk Road under the alias "Dread Pirate Roberts." Details of the investigation and subsequent arrests surfaced following Ulbricht's arrest, and there is now more information about key physical locations involved in the case.
The map, below, tells the still-unfolding story of Silk Road through these locations, which span three continents. Follow the story by clicking on the slides at the bottom of the map. Zoom in and out of the map for different views on how Silk Road expanded across the globe.