Almost immediately, former administrators of Silk Road built Silk Road 2.0. In 2014, in the second year of operation, that was also shut down by law enforcement. Successor after successor has since popped up, with drug-related darknet marketplaces surviving an average of 232 days before their shutdown and inevitable reincarnation. Following the demise of Hydra Market in 2022, dozens of new darknet markets emerged – a number of these being darknet drug markets which targeted former Hydra customers and vendors.
TRM Labs adds that eight of the top 10 mainstream exchanges that received funds from Hydra before its shutdown also received funds from its successor entities over the subsequent year. After nearly a year back online, though, DeSnake says he feels “vindicated,” given that few if any undercover operations have lasted that long. “For majority of vendors and customers the question has been put to rest,” DeSnake says. This part of the web isn’t accessible by traditional search engines, and so isn’t picked up by web crawlers. To access pages and information within the deep web, users require the correct authorisation and credentials. If you picture the internet in terms of an iceberg, then the surface web, where we are right now, would form the tip of that iceberg.
Understanding the Darknet Drug Market
This system generates an informal feedback loop allowing dealers to make more rapid decisions about what segments of the market to service. With the recent trends in legalisation and with the transition of illegal drug markets to the internet, much more detailed information about the price and quality of cannabis is now available, making an analysis of the determinants of prices easier. This column analyses data collected over a two-week period in 2015 from a dark web marketplace, which details about 500 cannabis prices from around 140 sellers in 18 countries. It concludes that the internet-based cannabis market is characterised by monopolistic competition, where many sellers offer differentiated products with quality variation causing dispersion of cannabis prices. [MUSIC] In 2017, AlphaBay was one of the biggest dark markets selling everything from drugs to weapons to malicious software.
The world of online commerce has expanded into realms that many might not fully comprehend, particularly when it comes to illegal trade. Among these undercurrents is the darknet drug market, a hidden segment of the internet where illicit substances are bought and sold anonymously.
Use of the dark web requires special access, software and complex configurations. Because of the anonymity it provides, the dark web has become a popular source for illicit dark web drugs. An analysis of over 100 darknet markets between 2010 and 2017 found sites were active for an average of just over eight months. Of the more than 110 darknet drug markets active from 2010 to 2019, just ten remained fully operational by 2019. The other advantage of not having to be in the same location is that drug dealers who sell over the dark web do not need a critical mass of customers to sustain themselves like they do with a localized market.
As it evolved, Hydra became not a ragged underground bazaar but a sophisticated, mature commercial platform. It employed some harm reduction approaches, such as free telemedicine consultations by a medical professional and selective drug-quality tests. It sold online classes for couriers — the workers who would place the drugs at dead drops — that taught how to reduce risks, along with an intricate system of ratings and reviews, an internal ad market for vendors and a mechanism for dispute resolution by the administration. To deal with these issues, Silk Road, as well as many darknet marketplaces later, used reviews, ratings and escrow mechanisms together with the centralized administration of the marketplace that could set and enforce rules on the platform. It and other darknet marketplaces organized internal controls to ensure that market transactions could be quick and efficient even when operating in the outlawed space. The combination of the data protection offered by the dark web and cryptocurrencies has encouraged a boom in illegal marketplaces on the darknet, according to the experts – though this is still a small part of the global illicit trade.
What is a Darknet Drug Market Like?
A darknet drug market operates using specific technologies to ensure anonymity for both buyers and sellers. Here are some key features:
- Access Through Special Browsers: Users must typically navigate to darknet sites using tools like the Tor browser, which masks their IP addresses.
- Cryptocurrency Transactions: Payments are largely made using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, providing an extra layer of anonymity.
- Peer Reviews and Feedback: Vendors often have ratings and reviews from previous buyers, similar to legal e-commerce sites.
- Product Listings: Just like conventional marketplaces, drugs are categorized with descriptions, prices, and images.
- Secure Delivery Methods: Many sellers use sophisticated delivery services, including creative shipping methods to avoid detection.
The darknet, on other hand, is the smallest layer of the Internet and contains hidden services that are only accessible with encryption software to protect privacy. Although the term ‘darknet’ initially suggests something mystical, criminal, and threatening, in fact, it says nothing about the legal status of the content, only how the content can be accessed. The exchange of drugs via digital environments includes elements of both open and closed drug markets while the distinction between public and private spaces is blurred by the Internet. In this way, the nature of the access-risk trade-off is changed by reducing both the risk posed by exposure to police and access barriers for buyers and sellers (C. Colman, 2023, this volume, Chapter 6). Some of the new digital platforms, social media, and messaging applications may be operated relatively anonymously when used with caution, disguising physical location and identity, and subsequently making customers and sellers less visible and accessible to law enforcement bodies. Simultaneously, a variety of illicit drugs becomes accessible to any customer with digital literacy and Internet access – even without prior social connections – and without restrictions on time and geographic location.
Some of the listings and even entire marketplaces are scams, aimed at separating hidden buyers from their bitcoins, so users have curated separate ratings of the darknet markets themselves. To reduce the risk, darknet market customers may rent a post box or use an address they don’t own but can access. These markets exist on the Tor network in order to create security and anonymity for both users and darknet providers. Transactions take place via a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin using dark wallets to protect the seller and buyer. The payment is held in escrow by the site operator to discourage scammers. The only exposed link in the chain is the actual shipping of the goods through the postal system.
The Experience of Buying on a Darknet Market
For many individuals, purchasing from a darknet drug market involves a complicated process:
- Finding a Reliable Marketplace: Accessing forums or encrypted channels to find a trustworthy site.
- Creating an Account: Necessitating an anonymous identity with a strong password.
- Searching Products: Utilizing search features or navigating categories to find desired substances.
- Making a Purchase: Selecting items, reading vendor feedback, and completing the transaction using cryptocurrency.
- Awaiting Delivery: The buyer must then wait for their order to arrive discreetly.
- The recording and subsequent use of email addresses are subject to regulations, thus vendors must display the relevant information (Al-Dwairi, 2013).
- As we shall see, the use of social media apps (e.g. Wickr, Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and so on) for arranging illicit drug exchanges sits somewhere between these extremes.
- By the time it was shut down in October 2013 and Ross Ulbricht arrested, the site had traded an estimated $183 million worth of goods and services.
- For example, warnings about scammers could directly influence the activity of vendors and customers on a given darknet market (Howell et al., 2022).
Risks and Dangers
Engaging in a darknet drug market is not without peril:
- Legal Consequences: Authorities constantly monitor these markets, and being caught can lead to severe penalties.
- Fraud Risks: There is a chance of scams, including non-existent products or poor quality.
- Safety Concerns: Interacting with anonymous individuals can be dangerous, and meeting for deliveries can increase risks.
- Health Hazards: Unknown substances can pose significant health risks, including overdose or poisoning.
FAQs About Darknet Drug Markets
Q: Are darknet drug markets completely anonymous?
A: While the use of Tor and cryptocurrencies provides a significant level of anonymity, law enforcement agencies have developed methods to track transactions and identify users.
Q: Can I trust the vendors on these markets?
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A: Trust varies significantly; while some vendors are reputable, others may be scams. Checking user reviews and feedback is crucial.
Q: What types of drugs can be found on darknet markets?
A: A wide array is available, including prescription medications, narcotics, and experimental substances, depending on the market.
Q: How do law enforcement agencies track illegal transactions?
A: Through monitoring cryptocurrency transactions, analyzing patterns, and infiltrating forums, law enforcement works to dismantle these networks.
Engaging with a darknet drug market carries substantial risks, and understanding its landscape is crucial for those curious about its operations. Awareness serves as a deterrent against potential pitfalls associated with such illicit activities.
