Evolving and Diversifying Selling Practices on Drug Cryptomarkets: An Exploration of ‘Direct Dealing’

• In Event: Cryptomarkets, Social Media, and other Illicit Drug Markets

Abstract

Online platforms are continually evolving and diversifying in their capacity to supply and access illicit drugs. The aim of this paper is to examine the phenomena of “direct dealing” – the practice of dealing privately with a dark net market vendor through an encrypted messaging “app” (e.g., Wickr, Telegram) rather than through the dark net market itself. Thematic analysis was employed on 965 forum posts which centered on discussions of direct dealing and the use of encrypted messaging platforms from buyers and sellers involved in cryptomarkets. Although generally there was a degree of hesitancy to deal directly with a vendor as it was associated with increased risk for personal security, exposure to scams and detection from law enforcement, this practice occurred frequently in the context of pre-established trust between vendors and buyers and during law enforcement operations (e.g., closing down large dark net markets). This paper advances criminological understandings of the online spaces for buying and selling illicit drugs by exploring the nature of trust in these new domains, the resilience of these spaces to law enforcement operations and providing insight into the way that individuals drift between different levels of online drug markets.

Authors

• Andrew Childs, Griffith University

• Ross Coomber, University of Liverpool

• Melissa Bull, Queensland University of Technology