Bitcoins should have disappeared by now, but have been thriving. Guess here's why
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/on...n-illegal.html
It was probably customs inspections of the shipment that got this guy
http://www.afp.gov.au/media-centre/n...silk-road.aspx
But if you read the New Scientist article carefully there's a link to an old story. transactions can be traced
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/on...ntly-anon.html