Internet-facilitated drugs trade: An analysis of the size, scope and the role of the Netherlands

Kruithof, Kristy; Aldridge, Judith; Décary‐Hétu, David; Sim, Megan; Dujso, Elma; Hoorens, Stijn

doi:10.7249/rr1607

Cited by 24 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…For example, the normalization of social supply (Coomber et al, 2016) is tied into the rise of "acceptable" or "sensible" recreational drug use around drug types such as cannabis, MDMA and psychedelics among some population groups in Western countries (Chatwin & Potter, 2014;Jacinto et al, 2008). These more "normalized" drug types are also among some of those most often purchased via darknet markets (e.g., Kruithof et al, 2016). Furthermore, both of the "darknet social dealers" featured in this article broadly fit the demographic characteristics linked to darknet buyers (white, <25, male, most likely recreational users or "psychonauts," tech-savvy; e.g., Barratt et al, 2016;Van Hout & Bingham, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Supply and the Potential for Harm Reduction in Social Media Drug Markets

Sanden

Wilkins

Rychert

et al. 2023

Contemporary Drug Problems

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Background Existing studies have highlighted the potential for increased drug market risks from buying drugs via social media involving strangers, such as receiving adulterated drugs or being robbed. However, social supply-driven social media drug markets may also offer enhanced social dealing and harm reduction opportunities. Aim To explore how social media platform features that enable expanded social networking may also support safer social drug dealing and other harm-reduction behaviors. Method Thematic analysis of anonymous online interviews with 33 people who buy and sell drugs via social media in New Zealand. Results Participants (median age 24; 22 male, 10 female, 1 gender diverse) accessing drugs via social media mostly utilized established social networks. These personal networks offered many benefits commonly associated with social media drug trading (i.e., safer and secure drug purchasing). Benefits included reducing the risk of receiving adulterated substances and being victimized. Social media affordances, which participants used to expand their everyday social networks, could also increase participants’ ability to leverage a broader social drug supply network and access related harm reduction benefits. Some participants used darknet markets to buy drugs, which they then resold to “friends” via social media platforms, facilitating supply channels that were largely “separated” from local physical drug markets and associated problems of fraud, violence, and organized crime. Conclusion Social media drug markets offer a range of harm reduction benefits that contribute to a lower-risk local drug market. We suggest this may reflect a closer alignment between social media platform affordances and their adaptation to social supply drug trading.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Supply and the Potential for Harm Reduction in Social Media Drug Markets

Sanden

Wilkins

Rychert

et al. 2023

Contemporary Drug Problems

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“…Next, the implications for law enforcement are discussed. Kruithof et al (2016) summarized four broad categories of strategies available to law enforcement in the detection and intervention of drug trades on cryptomarkets: (1) traditional investigation techniques, (2) postal detection and interception, (3) online detection (e.g., big data techniques, monitoring of cryptomarkets, and tracking money flows), and (4) online disruption (taking down online marketplaces). Our findings provide a new implication for the third category, particularly the monitoring of cryptomarkets.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some studies have investigated the geography of the vendors' countries of origin and their destination countries, and revealed that cryptomarkets have primarily manifested in the Anglo-Saxon world and Western Europe (Christin, 2013;Demant et al, 2018;Dolliver, 2015;Morelato et al, 2020;Norbutas, 2018;Van Buskirk, Naicker, Roxburgh, Bruno, & Burns, 2016). The buyer-seller network is highly fragmented across geographical borders to reduce the risk of inspection (Aldridge & Askew, 2017;Broséus, Rhumorbarbe, Morelato, Staehli, & Rossy, 2017b;Kruithof et al, 2016;Norbutas, 2018). Furthermore, Décary-Hétu, Paquet-Clouston, & provided evidence that vendors ship small quantities to reduce the risk of interception.…”

Section: Research On Cryptomarketsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are Illicit Drugs a Driving Force for Cryptomarket Leadership?

Hiramoto¹,

Tsuchiya

2022

Journal of Drug Issues

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Cryptomarkets, i.e., illicit online marketplaces, have gained considerable attention from the media, law enforcement agencies, and researchers. An increasing number of studies have revealed various aspects of these cryptomarkets; however, whether drugs play a major role for competing cryptomarkets to be the market leader, has not been addressed. Weekly sales and the number of listings for the major products on three leading cryptomarkets (Silk Road 2, Agora, and Evolution) were examined using Granger causality tests and interrupted time series analysis. Not only drugs trading on cryptomarkets played a pivotal role in the growth of each cryptomarket, but also a higher increase in drug supply than in competing marketplaces is crucial to become market leaders. The relative supply of drugs plays a larger role when leading marketplaces disappear. Law enforcement agencies should focus on monitoring marketplaces with a larger increase in drug supplies than on competing marketplaces.

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“…The variable "shipping from" is the country that the vendor lists as their location. Vendors may lie to hide their actual location, but previous research has argued that it is a suitable proxy for vendor origins (Kruithof et al, 2016). Our fourth variable is the "reputation score," the average of customer ratings from 1 to 5, based on their history of transactions (Duxbury & Haynie, 2023).…”

Section: Quantitative Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Collective Displacement of Regional Cryptomarket Vendors—A Study on the Aftermath of the Flugsvamp 3.0 Closure

Waldner,

Moeller

2024

International Criminal Justice Review

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The cryptomarket ecosystem has become increasingly volatile and fragmented with sites shutting down on short notice. Displacement to new marketplaces is tricky when the original location was domestically oriented. We examine the spatial and temporal displacement of 83 Swedish vendors in the aftermath of the Flugsvamp 3.0 shutdown. Vendors rejected the successor Flugsvamp 4.0 and moved to German-run Archetyp Market. Using quantitative cross-sectional data from Archetyp Market we measure bivariate correlations between the temporal displacement and status-related variables. We found moderately strong correlation between vendors’ number of sales per day and the order of their relocation to Archetyp. We also examined cryptomarket discussion forums and blogs during the time of the Flugsvamp 3.0 shutdown. This qualitative data supported the finding that migration choices of high-status vendors inspired others to follow.

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Internet-facilitated drugs trade: An analysis of the size, scope and the role of the Netherlands

Cited by 24 publications

References 9 publications

Social Supply and the Potential for Harm Reduction in Social Media Drug Markets

Social Supply and the Potential for Harm Reduction in Social Media Drug Markets

Are Illicit Drugs a Driving Force for Cryptomarket Leadership?

Collective Displacement of Regional Cryptomarket Vendors—A Study on the Aftermath of the Flugsvamp 3.0 Closure

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