One local operator that news.com.au and Storyful found proudly proclaimed that they “haven’t had a package intercepted ever” and explained that his drugs were vacuum sealed, alcohol rubbed and cleverly disguised. Worryingly, marketplaces also had fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that’s 50 to 100-times stronger than morphine, and and carfentanil, an incredibly potent synthetic painkiller, itself 100 times the strength of fentanyl. Analysis by news.com.au and Storyful of one marketplace, regarded as the biggest dark web operator in the world, found more than 60 Australian listings for ketamine, much of it advertised as being imported from India, a major producer of the dissociative. So, as the darkweb merry-go-round cranks up once more, the FBI and Interpol are still claiming to have ended online drug dealing.
Methamphetamine and cocaine were approximately three times more expensive when purchased from an Australian cryptomarket vendor. Only cannabis was priced similarly, with prices from Australian and foreign vendors largely comparable. Australian cryptomarket vendors sell a wide variety of illicit drugs, and are disproportionately represented in global terms for sales of ecstasy, opioids and, particularly, methamphetamine. More than a quarter of the world’s darknet methamphetamine trade (27.1%) is facilitated by Australian cryptomarket dealers. The report found that while darknet markets are not used for large-scale drug distribution networks, they have become an important source of supply for illicit drugs in Australia.
People Are Buying Illegal Opioids On The Dark Web
“As the market gets bigger and more saturated, there’s even less need to buy from international dealers,” he said. Long-term dark web sellers boast of their shipping techniques and detection-free track records. “Intercepting drugs sent within Australia is complicated, especially when you’re talking about small quantities,” he said. One seller advertising themselves as “a longstanding top Aussie MDMA” vendor boasted more than 1000 positive buyer reviews in the last six months alone. Peruvian Cocaine, Fish Scale, Uncut Flake, Synthetic, Columbia and many other types of Cocaine is sold.
Still, it seems ever-evolving technology may be pushing people past the use of the dark web. According to the 2023 National Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System survey, there was a slight decline of people buying drugs on the dark web, with more people turning to messaging and social media apps to source drugs. They have slick-looking sites, contained on marketplaces on a part of the internet not indexed by search engines and usually accessed via anonymous and encrypted authorisation, selling all kinds of items.
- This is true even if they only represent a small part of the cryptomarket trade in comparison to other products (see Soska & Christin, 2015).
- In 2019, German police arrested the 34-year-old father near the German-Danish border.
- Unlike drugs such as MDMA, methamphetamine, and heroin, which were less often contaminated, cocaine samples frequently contained other substances, diluting their purity and increasing the danger.
- Superintendent Rice said the operation netted the accused a significant amount of money, with payment allegedly made in cryptocurrency.
- The Australian darknet research is a study that was conducted by the Australian Crime Commission.
AI-Powered Cloud Security Platforms Set To Transform Enterprise Cyber Defense In 2025
Imagine buying something online, only to discover it’s completely different from what you ordered. According to a new study by RMIT University in Australia, over one third of illegal drugs bought on the dark web are contaminated. Currently, CanTEST stands as Australia’s sole drug checking service, with Queensland set to introduce its own services and Victoria considering similar measures. Drug checking, according to Dr. Barratt, offers a pragmatic approach to reducing health risks in an unpredictable drug market. By detecting hazardous substances early, these services can prevent potential overdoses and alleviate pressure on emergency health systems.
The Cyber Express News
While the dark web offered a safer supply of some substances, others appeared more reliable when purchased offline. Buying drugs on the dark web is often seen as a safer alternative to navigating an unpredictable, adulterated local supply. To put it to the test, a team of researchers analyzed the composition of over 60,000 drug samples—some purchased from the dark web, some bought in-person. Even more concerning was the finding that 21% of the drugs did not contain the advertised substances at all. This complete substitution poses serious health risks, as consumers have no idea what they’re actually ingesting. The study revealed that while 65% of the drugs matched their online descriptions, this seemingly positive finding can be misleading.
Teen Vaping Actually Doesn’t Lead To Smoking According To New Study
And a South Australian man was charged in July with allegedly importing fentanyl that was purchased from an online black market vendor. Vendors encourage user ratings, similar to marketplaces like eBay, and some even offer returns policies if buyers aren’t satisfied. If a Border Force officer suspects an item contains drugs, it’s sent to a special room where inspectors donning protective suits and airflow masks take a closer look.
How To Effectively Communicate Cyber Risk To The Board: Lessons From APRA Compliance
Officers seized large quantities of cocaine, MDMA, methamphetamine, and.$269,000 worth in cryptocurrency, which included Bitcoin, Ethereum and Pepe, from the property. Chikarovski was wearing gloves and packaging cocaine and MDMA when he was arrested at a Bondi Junction apartment complex following a months-long police investigation. Chikarovski would send purchased drugs through Australia Post express post with differing return addresses, but was busted after a covert operative made a series of purchases. Mr Boulton said that before and during the offending, Chikarovski was “burdened” by ADHD, trauma-based anxiety, a distortion of his personality and multiple substance abuses. The sentence includes 18 months of home detention, 500 hours of community service and continued engagement with mental health treatment, as well as abstinence from drug use.
Most Effective Digital Interventions To Stop Smoking Identified
For example, you can be charged as a drug trafficker for importing as little as 0.5 gram of MDMA or two grams of coke. Just as it is with drug sales on the street, “a drug conviction can have a long term impact on someone’s life, including limiting career prospects and making it difficult to travel overseas. These marketplaces, operating on the dark web, offer a seemingly easy and discreet way to obtain various drugs. The platforms have grown in popularity, attracting users from all walks of life including individuals seeking recreational drugs, people struggling with addiction, and even those who are just curiously tempted by online anonymity. Darknet drug consumers typically report access to higher quality illicit drugs online compared to those available from conventional sources.
A single study can’t definitively prove whether the dark web offers a safer supply. But these results suggest that, while some substances were indeed less likely to be adulterated, purchasing there is not a silver-bullet harm reduction strategy—and that testing remains vital whatever the source. By paying close attention to where adulterated substances were purchased, local drug checking services can help participants make more informed decisions to protect their health. Researchers analyzed 103 illicit drug samples purchased from the now-defunct dark web forum Test4Pay, in a collaborative effort involving the Australian National University, UNSW Sydney, and the Canadian testing facility Get Your Drugs Tested. Despite the common belief that cryptomarkets — a term for online vendors on the dark web — tend to offer purer products due to the possibility of customer reviews, the findings paint a starkly different picture.
One of the most common is the exit scam, where a marketplace suddenly disappears and takes everyone’s money with it. There’s also a privacy angle—some users live in countries with censorship or surveillance, and the dark web gives them a space to communicate or access information more freely. Detective Superintendent Adam Rice said the synthetic opioid “nitazene” was among the drugs allegedly seized, something which was “particularly of concern”. Shipping drugs internationally from Australia doesn’t carry as much risk as you would think, Dr Martin says. “So I think the very large portions that we see of the darknet methamphetamine trade concentrated in Australia really reflects the relative lack of popularity of that drug in Europe and places like that.” While 65% of samples contained only the advertised substance, 14% had a mixture of the advertised substance with other psychoactive or potentially harmful chemicals.
- It was touted as a major policing win and was accompanied by a slick cyberpunk-themed video.
- The dark web is a portion of the Internet that is inaccessible to normal search engines.
- Chris, whose real name cannot be used for legal reasons, was the kingpin of an international syndicate that sold hundreds of kilograms of drugs via the postal service.
- Both those drugs have contributed strongly to the prescription abuse crisis in the United States, which has resulted in an explosion in opioid-related deaths.
- Finally, just as scammers go on the dark net posing as buyers, so too can the police.
Also, I have not verified the legitimacy/authenticity of any of these markets/vendors. Hence, if you get scammed, lose your money, or order wrong products, I (the creator/s of this article) can not be held responsible. Whilst a great many products are sold, drugs dominate the numbers of listings, with the drugs including cannabis, MDMA, modafinil,108109110 LSD, cocaine, and designer drugs.
The market is known for its extensive product listings and reputation system that helps buyers evaluate the reliability of vendors. It allows vendors to sell without registration, which provides an added layer of anonymity, making it one of the more flexible and user-friendly markets on the dark web. In her submission, the Crown prosecutor said Chikarovski had undertaken significant planning to sell drugs on the dark web, which she said operated like his own personal shopfront. “We found markets close down and pop up again with a refreshed set of security features, price hikes or even self-regulation of the kinds of products sold to avoid the spotlight. “Since their inception, dark web markets have continued to evolve and they present unique problems to law enforcement agencies,” Professor Broadhurst said.
