Online cryptomarkets are becoming more popular but old fashioned drug dealing will always win, SA criminologist warns

New data reveals the most popular drugs sold on the dark web – but the rising digital market hides a basic truth, experts warn.

The market for drugs sold through online cryptomarkets is rapidly growing as a local expert warns the online drug trade is the tip of the iceberg in illegal trade in the community.

In a study undertaken by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre assessing trends in the availability drugs sold on the internet via cryptomarkets, cannabis was the most widely listed from June 2021 to May 2022.

In monitoring 27 cryptomarkets every week through the year, the number of listings increased by 57 per cent, or more than 16,000.

The top five drugs available on the cryptomarkets included cannabis, which accounted for 31 per cent of all listings, as well as benzodiazepines, cocaine, MDMA and meth.

Cryptomarkets are online marketplaces using encryption so users maintain anonymity in a bid to avoid detection by law enforcement.

During study, 11 of the monitored marketplaces closed, while 14 new markets opened and were monitored.

The biggest increase was observed in the sale of hallucinogenic mushrooms, which went from 673 listings in June to 1721 listings in May this year.

Flinders University criminologist Dr R.V Gundur said cryptomarkets have existed for some time with people engaging in them to reduce risk on themselves.

But Dr Gundur said traditional face-to-face markets remain the predominant method of drug dealing in the community.

“Selling drugs on the internet is something that is still a relatively niche thing … I would venture to guess that the proportion that is transacted throughout the internet is a spit in the bucket compared to what is transacted through old analog means,” he said.

“When folks are buying drugs from a personal connection, a lot of drug dealing happens in communities of friends.”

“If you’re engaging with something that’s online, you think about the mechanics of actually going on to the dark web, still for most people, this is beyond what they want to do with their computer.”

Cannabis, cocaine and MDMA deals via online cryptomarkets are on the rise, but traditional drug dealing methods will always win, experts say.

A police spokesperson said they were aware of a of controlled substances being sold on a variety of online platforms including cryptomarkets or the dark web.

Detective Superintendent Adam Rice, Officer in Charge, Financial and Cybercrime Investigation Branch said his team worked closely with the Australian Federal Police, Border Force and Australia Post to detect and disrupt online drug dealing.

“Offenders are not as anonymous as they would think they are online, they will be caught.”

Dr Gundur said there are more than just drugs being sold on the dark web, including bogus items and services.

“There’s various things that get sold, some of the things never exist, like people like to point to the hit man to hire service,” he said.

“There was stuff being sold in the wake of Covid-19, fake certificates, vaccine certificates, pharmaceuticals.”

Other common items include ransomware, which is used to threaten a person’s personal data unless ransom is paid, and child exploitation material he said.

Anyone who needs assistance with problem drug use should visit knowyouroptions.sa.gov.au