Introduction
- His 20 years of writing, media, and communications work have included two top-tier universities (USC and UCLA), print and digital magazines, consulting firms, and technology companies.
- It would not be surprising if most of the drugs being sold on the Tor network have already violated patent protection laws in the US.
- 2News’ Jim Spiewak asked Martinez how big of a problem we have in Utah regarding selling drugs on the dark web.
- As charged in the indictment and the complaint, between February 2019 and January 2022, defendants Edison Hernandez, Michael Caruso, Raymer Ynoa and Irvin Hernandez separately operated a door-to-door drug delivery service in the New York City area.
The dark web, a hidden part of the internet inaccessible to search engines, has gained notoriety for being a hub of illicit activities. One such activity that commonly takes place in this clandestine realm is the buying and selling of drugs. With anonymity being a priority, users often wonder about the cost of drugs on the dark web. In this article, we delve into the depths of this secretive marketplace to shed light on the prices associated with these substances.
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Understanding the Dark Web
To comprehend the pricing dynamics of drugs on the dark web, it’s crucial to have a basic understanding of how this hidden network operates. The dark web is accessed through specialized software or browsers, allowing users to maintain their anonymity via encryption measures. Transactions are typically carried out using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, which further adds an extra layer of obscurity.
Pricing Factors
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At Keeper, Darren leads product vision, global strategy, customer experience and business development. The dark web has flourished thanks to bitcoin, the crypto-currency that enables two parties to conduct a trusted transaction without knowing each other’s identity. “Bitcoin has been a major factor in the growth of the dark web, and the dark web has been a big factor in the growth of bitcoin,” says Tiquet. She also would have liked more information on the dollar amounts for Dark Web sales. Commenting on Dr Smith’s research for Medscape Medical News, Frances R. Levin, MD, director, Division on Substance Use Disorders and Kennedy-Leavy Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, New York, said this is “potentially a disturbing problem.” Dr Smith first learned about the Dark Web about a year ago when a patient, who was struggling with “horrible” withdrawal symptoms, revealed that he had been buying China White, a fentanyl analogue, over the Internet.
Several factors influence the prices of drugs on the dark web:
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To this end, we first collected the marketplace’s lifespan using the Gwern archive [37], as shown in Table 1, and then compared the supplier lists in each marketplace to investigate supplier migration. In addition, we observed that 10 and 9 suppliers in Apollon and Empire, respectively, migrated from Agora 3 years after it shut down. Some of those suppliers’ IDs (ie, A1CRACK and DiazNL) are neither common words nor have special meaning. Those suppliers kept using the same IDs for years to gain reputation and familiarity from buyers. Before escrow systems became commonplace, Marie once fell prey to a so-called “exit scam.” That’s when a dealer who plans to stop selling on a marketplace continues to take orders that they never plan to fulfill. “Except for those three times, I never got shorted, and the product ranged from good to excellent quality,” she noted.
- Type of Drug: Different drugs have varying levels of demand and availability. Common substances like marijuana and cocaine tend to be relatively inexpensive due to their widespread availability. On the other hand, rare or harder-to-source drugs like LSD or MDMA can command higher prices.
- Purity and Quality: The quality and purity of drugs can significantly impact their prices. Dealers who offer higher-quality products may charge a premium compared to those selling lower-quality alternatives.
- Geographical Location: Prices can vary depending on the location of the buyer and seller. Factors such as transportation costs and regional supply and demand dynamics can influence the final price.
- Vendor Reputation: Established and reputable vendors may charge higher prices due to their reliability and quality assurance. Conversely, lesser-known or new vendors might offer lower prices to attract customers.
The FBI took down Silk Road in 2013, and its creator was arrested and sentenced to life in prison. Within weeks, Silk Road’s place was filled by a copycat, and by 2016 around 50 cryptomarkets and vendor shops appeared active on the hidden web. Our web-scraping and analysis of cryptomarket data from January 2016 suggests that the number of advertisements for illicit drugs on these market places has seen a six-fold increase since September 2013. And the results also show drug transactions have tripled and monthly revenues have doubled.
Bitcoin is made even more difficult to track on the dark web through the use of “mixing services” like Bitcoin Laundry, which enables Bitcoin transactions to be effectively hidden completely. Rather than conventional web addresses, Tor uses “onion” addresses, which further obscure the content. There are even special versions of search engines like Bing and Duck Duck Go that will return onion addresses for Tor services.
According to Bhaskar et al. (2019) a substantial share of drug users buy their drugs online through the Dark Web. Duxbury and Haynie (2018) analyze the network structure of opioid distribution through the Dark Web. They arrive to similar conclusions as Bhaskar et al. (2019), finding that vendors’ trustworthiness explains more variation in the overall network structure than the affordability of vendor products or the diversity of vendor product listings.
Price Ranges
You need special software that will obscure the site’s location on the internet (its IP address) and, generally, yours too. For many dark-web sites, that software is Tor, originally developed by the US government to protect intelligence information. And most of the sites conduct business in bitcoin, the cryptocurrency that allows for anonymous online payments. The United States is not the only country dealing with an influx of mail-order synthetic opioids. Canada and several European countries have also made recent arrests of suspects accused of being major online drug dealers responsible for multiple deaths.
It is important to note that the prices mentioned here are approximate ranges as they can fluctuate based on several factors:
- Marijuana: Prices for marijuana on the dark web generally range from $10 to $20 per gram, with discounts available for bulk purchases.
- Cocaine: The price of cocaine varies between $60 and $80 per gram, although larger quantities may be available at a discounted rate.
- LSD: LSD tabs are priced between $5 and $10 per tab, depending on the dosage and quantity purchased.
- MDMA: MDMA commonly costs around $70 to $100 per gram but can be more expensive for higher purity levels.
Conclusion
The dark web serves as an intricate marketplace for various illegal activities, including drug trade. Understanding the pricing dynamics within this hidden realm can provide insight into the cost of drugs on the dark web. However, it is essential to remember that engaging in such activities is illegal and poses serious risks to personal safety and legal consequences. This article aims to inform rather than encourage any illicit behavior.
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Exploring the dark web may satisfy one’s curiosity, but it is crucial to prioritize legal and ethical online activities while staying safe within the boundaries of the law.
