Research study also refers to potential for less violence if trading is done on ‘darknet’.
Online drug dealing has the capacity to reduce harm for users due to the higher quality of substances sold and less violence associated with criminal activity, an EU report has found.
The study, by the Lisbon-based European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, examined the rise of online drug markets, their impact on society, gangland crime and law enforcement.
It says that winning a good review as an online vendor from customers can be “more important than muscles and face-to-face connections” in the real world.
It notes that real-world drug wholesalers are also taking to the “deepweb” or “darknet” to source large quantities of narcotics.
Online drug markets are a relatively new phenomenon, particularly in terms of being a readily available alternative to traditional street dealing.
Tor (The Onion Router), an internet browser which provides anonymity by hiding computer IP addresses, has facilitated its growth, offering a veil of secrecy to both dealers and buyers.
Source: Mark Hilliard, The Irish Times, 12/02/16
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