- In addition, we did not observe big changes in the top opioid commodity origins from 2014 to 2020.
- While some traffickers brag about using top-of-the-line mixers — sometimes the same machinery used by pharmaceutical companies — others use rudimentary equipment, authorities say.
- It said that Gal had voluntarily handed over his device passwords but he did that before being given his Miranda rights.
- In the interview, Sales also linked fentanyl trafficking to the rise in violence in the state.
Fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid, has been making headlines in recent years due to its role in the ongoing opioid epidemic. It is often mixed with other drugs, including heroin and cocaine, and sold on the darknet markets. In this article, we will explore what darknet markets sell fentanyl and the dangers associated with it.
US Department Of The Treasury
The study found more than 90 per cent of the samples contained the drugs they were sold as, and that most samples were of high purity. Similar to legal online retailers, dark net drug listings feature dozens of reviews, assessing the products for quality, purity and shipping times. In another case, RCMP in British Columbia declared last fall they had disrupted what may be “one of the most sophisticated fentanyl/carfentanil trafficking and exportation enterprises” they had seen in Canada after arresting two people accused of selling drugs on the dark web. ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Tempe, Arizona, woman was sentenced today to 5 years in prison for her role in operating multiple darknet pages selling illicit drugs alongside two previously sentenced co-conspirators. PHOENIX, Ariz. — On June 14, a judge sentenced Veronica Dittman, 28, of Tempe, to five years in prison for her role in operating multiple darknet pages selling illicit drugs with two previously sentenced co-conspirators.
What are Darknet Markets?
Darknet markets, also known as “cryptomarkets,” are online marketplaces that operate on the dark web. They are accessible only through special software, such as the Tor browser, which allows users to remain anonymous. These markets sell a wide variety of illegal goods and services, including drugs, weapons, and stolen data.
Fentanyl on Darknet Markets
Fentanyl is a popular product on darknet markets due to its high potency and low cost. It is often sold in powder form, which can be easily mixed with other drugs. Some of the most common darknet markets that sell fentanyl include AlphaBay, Hansa, and Dream Market.
AlphaBay
According to the study, AlphaBay operated from 2014 to 2017 and was considered the largest dark web marketplace at the time with more than 200,000 users. Researchers looked at more than 5,500 drug transactions on AlphaBay involving more than 870,000 items sold for about US$2.8 million, focusing on Utah-based Pharma-Master, which mainly made fake prescription oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl instead. To give you a better idea, a typical single pill of ibuprofen is two hundred milligrams. That one tablet is two hundred times the lethal dose if it was fentanyl. Yes, people are dying from overdosing on prescription opioid-based drugs and if they can’t find those, they’ll find heroin and possibly overdose on that. It’s so easy to die from which is why fentanyl has killed over 95,000 people in the last five years which is about 60% of all opioid deaths.
AlphaBay was one of the largest darknet markets before it was shut down by law enforcement in 2017. It was known for selling a wide variety of illegal goods, including fentanyl. Vendors on AlphaBay often sold fentanyl in large quantities, with some listings offering up to 1 kilogram of the drug.
But the site looks good, it works good, and began getting some traction. The site admins said they’re experiencing a massive DDoS attack and have gone offline. Perhaps this is another move executed by feds through J-CODE since they don’t seem to be letting up on the persistent attack on all these sites. [MUSIC] Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, the first big dark market, he got prison for life.
Hansa
Hansa was another popular darknet market that sold fentanyl. It was taken down by law enforcement in 2017, but not before authorities were able to gather information on its users and vendors. Hansa was unique in that it required vendors to provide samples of their products to buyers before completing a sale. This allowed buyers to test the quality of the drugs they were purchasing.
Andy Greenberg On How ‘Tracers In The Dark’ Found The Dark Web’s Worst Criminals
Dream Market
Dream Market is currently one of the most popular darknet markets. It sells a wide variety of illegal goods, including fentanyl. Dream Market has a reputation for being more secure than other darknet markets, which has made it a popular choice for vendors and buyers alike.
ICE HSI Supports Extensive International Operation Targeting Darknet Opioid Traffickers
Dangers of Fentanyl
Fentanyl is extremely dangerous due to its high potency. It is 50-100 times stronger than morphine and can be lethal in even small doses. Fentanyl can also be absorbed through the skin or inhaled, making it easy to overdose accidentally. In addition, fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs, which can increase the risk of overdose.
In recent years, there has been a surge in fentanyl-related overdoses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were over 31,000 fentanyl-related overdose deaths in the United States in 2018. This is a significant increase from the 1,600 fentanyl-related overdose deaths reported in 2011.
Now, you’d think anyone involved in darknet trading would be guarding those passwords with their life but Gal, still thinking this is just a routine check, handed them over. The agents left the room with his devices and didn’t come back for two hours. Gal must have started to get nervous at some point waiting for them to return.
Conclusion
Darknet markets are a major source of fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid that has been linked to a surge in overdose deaths. Some of the most popular darknet markets that sell fentanyl include AlphaBay, Hansa, and Dream Market. It is important to be aware of the dangers associated with fentanyl and to avoid using drugs that may contain it.
