Illuminating the Dark Web

The Economist reports that the drug trade is moving from the street to so-called online ‘cryptomarkets’, or secret virtual-shop-fronts. 

Online markets currently facilitate a comparatively small amount of illegal drug sales. Nonetheless, their share is rapidly growing. Turnover has risen from around $16 million in 2012 to $170 million in 2015, while the percentage of US drug users who have taken drugs bought online has increased from 8% in 2014 to 15% in 2016.

Online drug markets form part of the ‘dark web’. These are sites layered with encryption making it extremely difficult for the authorities to track. Transactions are made using Bitcoin, a digital currency that offers almost complete anonymity.

Drugs bought online are often better quality and, as a result, much more expensive than those bought on the street.

According to The Economist, around 90% of drug shipments seem to make it to their intended destination. MDMA is the most sold by value. However, with around 38,000 sales, marijuana the most popular product overall.

As the drug trade moves online, related services are also appearing. For example, Spanish physician Fernando Caudevilla - known online as Doctor X – offers free drug-related advice on dark web forums as users are less likely to go into medical centres.

Click here to read the full news story on The Economist’s website.