News 300 Arrested in Crackdown on Dark Web Drugs

[RUC4]

300 Arrested in Crackdown on Dark Web Drugs


AP/Newsmax
2 May 2023

Excerpts:

Authorities in the U.S. and Europe arrested nearly 300 people, confiscated over $53 million, and seized a dark web marketplace as part of an international crackdown on drug trafficking that officials say was the largest operation of its kind.

The operation targeting the "Monopoly Market" is the latest major takedown of sales platforms for drugs and other illicit goods on the so-called dark web,...

Most of the arrests were made in the U.S., which is in the grips of an overdose crisis. Synthetic opioids, mostly fentanyl, kill more Americans every year than died in the Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan wars combined.

The number of arrests and money seized was the highest for any international Justice Department-led drug trafficking operation,...

For the first time, FBI agents from all the bureau's field offices also visited buyers to tell them about the overdose danger of pills sold online, which are often disguised to look like prescription drugs.
The largest number of arrests — 153 — were made in the United States, followed by the United Kingdom with 55 and Germany with 52,

 

[RUC4]

...all I can hear in my head is "run run as fast as you can, you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man" lol

 

[Opi_Kid_Rock]

The war on drugs can’t be “won.” For starters, it’s not even the right question to be asking.

 

[Dead Machination]

I'm convinced that keeping the drug "game" online is SUBSTANTIALLY more safe than the street market.

You're not driving into sketchy neighborhoods, and meeting sketchy people with guns. I've been robbed with a weapon more than once. I also did my drugs as soon as I got them, so I was always driving high, receiving them at my home would prevent that too.

Most of the products have reviews, and people test for fentanyl and post the result. Products are much more likely to be what they are sold as, selling bunk even once or twice can completely ruin an online vendor's reputation, you can't leave your street dealer a bad review because he sold you fentanyl cut Adderall.

 

[AlsoTapered]

I think it's the fact that no tax is being paid. If someone solved THAT problem, it would make governments far, far less likely to swoop in because IF a government takes that tax then they are part of it. OK you cannot be totally honest but anyone who is paying the appropriate amount is in a position to point the fact out... which would then make the government look implicit.

 

[Dead Machination]

I think it's the fact that no tax is being paid. If someone solved THAT problem, it would make governments far, far less likely to swoop in because IF a government takes that tax then they are part of it. OK you cannot be totally honest but anyone who is paying the appropriate amount is in a position to point the fact out... which would then make the government look implicit.

They don't care if they're complicit, they only want their cut.

Don't forget to declare income from stolen goods and illegal activities, IRS says

“If you find $1 on the street or embezzle from your employer, that’s all taxable income, as well as your paycheck from flipping burgers at McDonald’s,” one tax preparer said.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[AlsoTapered]

I was semi referring to that BUT governments do not look too hard at people giving them cash. I've never heard of them refusing to sign a cheque and once they do - they are accepting it as a legal income.

Personally I would only do so (in the US) with a drug that isn't controlled and man their are STACKS of those. U-47700 was only x7.6M but a modification yields a product some x23M so 5mg tablets for $10 would, it seems to me, be very popular. If you are interested compound 13 of the list in the patent touches on it. It's not that, but it's something VERY close.

 

[Dead Machination]

I was semi referring to that BUT governments do not look too hard at people giving them cash. I've never heard of them refusing to sign a cheque and once they do - they are accepting it as a legal income.

Personally I would only do so (in the US) with a drug that isn't controlled and man their are STACKS of those. U-47700 was only x7.6M but a modification yields a product some x23M so 5mg tablets for $10 would, it seems to me, be very popular. If you are interested compound 13 of the list in the patent touches on it. It's not that, but it's something VERY close.

I got some U-47700 when it first hit the market, it was still perfectly legal, a little bit before fentanyl took over. I overdosed 3 times on the same bag, almost back to back. That stuff is something else...

 

[ninjapirateroberts]

I'm convinced that keeping the drug "game" online is SUBSTANTIALLY more safe than the street market.

You're not driving into sketchy neighborhoods, and meeting sketchy people with guns. I've been robbed with a weapon more than once. I also did my drugs as soon as I got them, so I was always driving high, receiving them at my home would prevent that too.

Most of the products have reviews, and people test for fentanyl and post the result. Products are much more likely to be what they are sold as, selling bunk even once or twice can completely ruin an online vendor's reputation, you can't leave your street dealer a bad review because he sold you fentanyl cut Adderall.

Some marketplaces currently actively crackdown on vendors who sell fentanyl or fentanyl-laced or -contaminated products, banning them permanently and refusing the refund of vendor bond deposit once they get banned. This helps, to some degree, from vendors selling fentanyl-laced heroine or fentanyl-pressed Oxy.

 

[AlsoTapered]

I got some U-47700 when it first hit the market, it was still perfectly legal, a little bit before fentanyl took over. I overdosed 3 times on the same bag, almost back to back. That stuff is something else...

It was MEANT to be produced as 10mg tablets. When my boss sold the powder and people died I had a breakdown and quit. U93951 would make fine 5mg pills (with a break-line). Ideally soluble pills. That would make each one about 100mg M and so people can titrate.

Yes people can make fake pills - but I haven't seen fake OCs with the proper coloured layer on top of the white centre. It's not hard or costly but it slows down production (you spray it on like shellac) but one would need to set up a production line somewhere unexpected.

 

[Dead Machination]

It was MEANT to be produced as 10mg tablets. When my boss sold the powder and people died I had a breakdown and quit.

If your boss was one of the first people to sell that in the States, in early 2016, I was one of those OD's. There were a bunch that made the news right around then, and a lot of them were from the same source.

Probably a pretty good idea to get out of there, lol.

U93951 would make fine 5mg pills (with a break-line). Ideally soluble pills. That would make each one about 100mg M and so people can titrate....

The first time I had ever tried it, it was dissolved in PG, at a concentration that made it nearly impossible to overdose. A decent dose was like 2-4 ML, I can't remember the mg/ml, but it was low enough that it couldn't be injected easily.

I actually found the cut down version to be a relatively safe, and enjoyable experience. I'd be down to see properly dosed U4 or U9 tablets hit the street. They were actually pretty euphoric compared to new fentanyl too.

 

[SpiralusSancti]

Prince was also one of you ☺☻☺

Fun time to be alive, right?