Diazepam and alprazolam were the two most common benzodiazepines available, both remarkably cheap in bulk. Diazepam varied in price significantly, with those sold in blister packets often fetching a higher price. One vendor listed 50,000 diazepam pills for £4,000, advertised as 10mg each. Alprazolam was a common listing, with one vendor advertising 100,000 2mg bars for £15,000.
When one goes down, two more emerge with new ideas, better technology, and greater difficulty to track. It’s an ever-evolving ecosystem—constantly shifting, reinventing itself, and adapting. Although some of these markets prohibit certain extreme content such as violence or exploitation, most operate with very few rules beyond ensuring the security and anonymity of their users.
- Cryptocurrency accounts were the only category that we saw to have experienced an increase.
- We developed Lunar to monitor the deep and dark web, including dark web marketplace sites.
- Some vendors would simultaneously advertise cheaper ‘social coke’, adulterated with a specified amount of benzocaine (typically mixed as 70% cocaine 30% benzocaine).
- Counterfeit banknotes, card fraud, document fraud and weapons were also topics of discussion, although many of these types of criminal actions were forbidden within drug-selling groups.
Market Features
A spike in demand has caused shortages at major pharmacies, including high-street firms Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy and Superdrug. The US pays more for prescription drugs than any other country, often nearly three times as much as other developed nations. The hike comes amid White House pressure to increase the price of the drug abroad so it can be made cheaper in the US.
How Marketplaces Vet Buyers And Sellers
Many users extended escrow to allow for late deliveries, and one crew went so far as to refund users – to the last satoshi the smallest unit of a bitcoin – when packs did not arrive. After all, darknet markets are remarkably self-regulating systems, based on anarchist principles. “Compared to darknet market use, Telegram is a lot easier to use and more convenient for buyers,” said Monica Barratt, a social scientist at RMIT University in Australia with an expertise in online drug markets. In Grand Theft Auto Online, players who purchase warehouses and garages for illicit cargo and stolen cars can buy/steal and sell them through trade on the “SecuroServ” syndicate website.
Russia Police Probe ‘dark Net’ Murder
Our team searched the dark web and put together a list of the most active dark web marketplaces in order to assist you in monitoring illegal trade of products, cybercrime activity, and dark web trends in the dark web space. Tor2door’s been a standout since 2020—over 20,000 listings and a custom-built site that’s not some cookie-cutter junk. They take BTC and Monero, with multi-signature escrow and global shipping—vendors swear by it, and I’ve snagged rare stuff (think DMT or niche scripts) without a hitch. Drugs lead the pack—weed, pills, some synthetics—but digital goods like hacked logins are gaining, tying into Telegram’s side gig boom. For 2025, they’re teasing AI-powered search—could make digging through listings a breeze, which I’m hyped for since their catalog’s already hefty. The site’s unique—loads fast, looks sharp, and vendors get treated right, keeping turnover low.
Recent News
Some prizes were worth thousands of pounds worth of drugs; in another, the top prize for a raffle was a Mercedes A45 AMG – worth around £60,000 new. One vendor specialised in sending different types of faeces to an address of your choice – fox, horse, cow, et cetera. 22 different channels or groups were recorded, most of them with over 1,000 members. Some of these channels were run by single vendors, others were multi-vendor groups where customers and vendors could chat freely. A minority of vendors used bots with an administrator taking orders and making sure payments are received. Many others use bot technologies to allow customers to place and pay for orders without dealing with any humans.
EU Drug Market: Amphetamine — Prices And Purities
These markets prioritize privacy and anonymity, ensuring that transactions remain confidential and secure. The darknet has become a hub for secure and reliable online trade, offering users a platform to engage in transactions with a high degree of anonymity and privacy. Among the most notable markets, AlphaBay, Empire Market, and White House Market stand out for their robust security features and user-friendly interfaces. These platforms utilize advanced encryption methods and decentralized systems to ensure that transactions remain confidential and protected from external interference. The darknet has become a hub for secure and reliable online trade, offering users a platform to engage in transactions with a high degree of anonymity and efficiency. Among the most prominent markets, AlphaBay, Empire Market, and White House Market stand out due to their robust security measures, user-friendly interfaces, and extensive product offerings.
BBC News Services
This is likely because most ketamine arrives in the EU on container ships to Rotterdam from India and China, where the drug is diverted from legitimate pharmaceutical facilities. Israeli tech firm Sixgill, which studied Empire from January until late March, documented a tripling in purchases as measured by customer feedback, from 97,616 reviews on December 23, 2019, to 311,157 per day by March 23, 2020. ‘In parallel, we have reached an agreement with the NHS to ensure continued supply and patient access. But there are pros and cons to taking the weight-loss drug, including some side effects. However, it doesn’t impact those who are prescribed the medicine through the NHS, as these prices were set with a separate deal, a Lilly spokesperson said.
In May, the EU’s drugs agency, the EMCDDA, reported that Cannazon — a cannabis-only online market — sold 1.6 tonnes of weed, worth €5.2 million $5.9 million, up 27 percent in volume between January and March. ‘The approved list price increase will not affect NHS commissioning of tirzepatide in England for eligible people living with obesity, based on clinical priority, or as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. Mounjaro’s current list price in the UK ranges from £92 (about $124.89) to £122 a month, depending on the dose size, according to Eli Lilly.
Additionally, escrow services are commonly used to safeguard funds until the buyer confirms receipt of the product, further enhancing trust within the community. One of the key factors contributing to the success of these markets is their reliance on cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin and Monero. These digital currencies enable seamless transactions without the need for traditional banking systems, reducing the risk of financial tracking. The integration of escrow systems further enhances trust between buyers and sellers, ensuring that funds are only released once the transaction is confirmed as satisfactory. Launched in September 2022, Torzon Market operates on the Tor network and features over 11,600 illegal products, including drugs and hacking tools.
Services And Information
Users can access a variety of substances, from traditional narcotics to prescription medications, often with detailed descriptions and user reviews. This transparency allows buyers to make informed decisions, fostering trust within the community. Apart from the dark web markets that are operating online today, some raided platforms influenced many markets.
Topics And Products Sold
As in the previous 3 years, we conducted research into the supply and prices of various goods and services sold by cybercriminals on the dark web. With so much money floating around these sites — dealers can make good money without leaving home — some vendors try to game the review system. Common tricks include creating fake accounts from which to post positive feedback; writing bad reviews of competitors; and even paying others to give favourable write-ups. Tusi (commonly a mixture of cocaine, MDMA, ketamine and other drugs) seemed like a niche drug on Telegram listed by a handful of vendors, with an ounce being advertised for £1,400.
Each member could be in completely different parts of the country and may have never met each other. A small number of vendors were drop-shippers, taking orders from their customers and ordering from another vendor, thereby making a profit without actually handling any drugs themselves. Data was collected for a period of 18 months, from March 2022 to August 2023. A total of 60 different vendors were recorded selling over 30 different drugs, but there were many more on offer. A listing was recorded if it was posted by an established vendor and its value was of over £1,000 although some listings advertised for well over £30,000. Chainalysis data shows darknet marketplace revenue dropped post-Hydra seizure in 2022 but recovered to $2 billion in Bitcoin inflows during 2024 Darknet market BTC inflow drop and shift to Monero.
