Once upon a time people looking for drugs had to visit their doctor, but nowadays? Not so much.
Thanks to the advent of online black markets such as Silk Road, many addicts now buy drugs online, and with a trade value of $1.2 billion streaming into Silk Road, it wasn’t called the ‘Amazon of drugs’ for nothing. Yes, the FBI shut down Silk Road in 2013, but online drugstores operate much like piracy sites. Shut one down, and another pops up to replace it before long. Sheep Marketplace, Atlantis, Agora, and Black Market Reloaded may have been busted, but Pandora Market, Silk Road II, Brainmagic, and Deepbay quickly took their place.
But, all the sites listed above were shut down, hacked, or robbed. Whatever new sites are being developed will likely meet their untimely end too.
Avenues Recovery has treated many drug users through inpatient and outpatient treatments, and we know the risks involved when buying drugs online. Based on our combined experience, we’ve put together the following information. Read on to find out how to buy drugs on the dark web, and why you may want to think twice before you do.
Know The Risks Before You Buy Drugs Online
Many users believe that buying drugs, such as Cocaine online is a safer alternative to buying them in person. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Buying drugs on an unregulated market from anonymous sellers carries numerous risks. Including, but not limited to:
- Different ingredients from those listed
- Expired drugs sold ‘in date’, and
- Incorrect dosage strength
Despite these life-threatening risks, buyers still put their trust in strangers — and in this case, these strangers shroud themselves in total anonymity.
Would you trust a doctor who refused to show you his face? We didn’t think so.
Big Bucks for Zero Drugs
Another danger commonly associated with street dealers is the risk of theft. Online drug dealers are no different. You hand over your money — usually in the form of Bitcoins—with no guarantee that you’ll actually receive your product. An addict's world can often be ridden with debt and yet many will respond to such scams with increased motivation to find a legitimate supplier. Drugs are not cheap in the first place, and those who provide for their families stand to hurt more than themselves when they take such a gamble. This applies particularly to the many drug dealers who buy drugs online in bulk to resell.
Legal Risks When You Buy Illegal Drugs Online
Potential legal ramifications top the list of dangers associated with buying drugs online. In addiction, drug suppliers create a medium through which users buy drugs from completely anonymous parties. This means that it’s all too easy for law enforcement agencies to set up sites of their own and just wait for the buyers to come to them.
Some buyers might feel safe using a VPN when buying drugs online (which some online markets require). They use browsers such as Tor to maintain their anonymity in the hopes of never getting caught. However such networks are not without their weaknesses. The NSA [1] already targets vulnerabilities within such networks to peek through the veil of anonymity. They could easily work with the DEA [2] and other law enforcement agencies to target those buying drugs online.
Mail Can Be Seized
Drugs bought online are typically triple vacuum packed and mailed with private carriers such as UPS or FedEx. Despite drugs like marijuana being legal in some states, generally, these drugs are illegal. Having drugs mailed to you could be charged under the status of using the mail for poisonous or hazardous items. This could mean time in prison.
Private carrier mail can be checked and searched by authorities and possession of different amounts of drugs can bring a prison sentence of 5 years, (with a difference in time span depending on the state.)
As per USPIS, 1,310 lbs of Cocaine [3] were seized in packages in 2022. A judge may take into account a defendant's criminal background and the amount and category of drug shipped before taking charges, but the risk of incarceration remains high.
Avoid Buying Drugs on Dark Web Platforms
Whether you’re looking to buy opioids or cocaine online or a cocktail of analgesics at your local dealer, The best way to avoid the dangers enumerated above is to stop buying drugs altogether. No matter which drugs marketplace you buy from, there is no perfectly safe way to engage in addictive behavior.
While online sales may seem tempting, they’re anything but innocent. Just ask the owner of Silk Road, Ross Ulbricht, now spending his life in prison.
If you or a loved one are struggling with an addiction, Avenues Recovery is here to support you. Be it through a phone call, therapy session, group meeting, or residential addiction treatment, you can contact us 24/7 to access the services you may need. You deserve better than a life of addiction.
Sources
[1] www.nsa.gov
[2] www.dea.gov
[3] www.uspis.gov