Role of internet in drug trafficking

The role of Internet in drug trafficking has grown significantly with the advent of digital technology, fundamentally altering how illegal drugs are marketed, sold, and distributed globally. Below are key aspects of how the Internet facilitates drug trafficking and the challenges it presents.

In an annual report, the International Narcotics Control Board has highlighted the role of Internet in drug trafficking and drug use.

This digital evolution in drug trafficking poses complex challenges for law enforcement, regulatory authorities, and policymakers.

But, there are also opportunities to use the Internet for drug use prevention and treatment to safeguard people’s health and welfare, the Board says.

Role of internet in drug trafficking

In its 2023 Annual Report on the Role of internet in drug trafficking, the International Narcotics Control Board:

• finds that online drug trafficking has increased the availability of drugs on the illicit market;
• warns that patient safety is at risk from illicit Internet pharmacies selling drugs without a prescription directly to the consumer;
• highlights the daunting task facing law enforcement authorities to monitor and prosecute online drug activities;
• sees opportunities to use the Internet and social media for drug use prevention campaigns and to improve access to drug treatment services;
• encourages governments to use the full range of INCB tools and programs to assist in their efforts to counter exploitation of the Internet for drug trafficking; and
• voices concern about the persistent regional disparities in the availability and consumption of licit drugs for the treatment of pain.

The increased availability of illicit drugs on the Internet, the exploitation by criminal groups of online platforms including social media, and the increased risk of overdose deaths due to the online presence of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are some of the key challenges for drug control in the Internet era.

• Using social media and other online platforms means drug traffickers can advertise their products to large global audiences.
• Various conventional social media platforms are being used as local marketplaces and inappropriate content is widely accessible to children and adolescents.

Encryption methods, anonymous browsing on the darknet, and cryptocurrencies are commonly used to avoid detection, posing difficulties in prosecuting online trafficking offenses.

• Offenders can move their activities to territories with less intensive law enforcement action or lighter sanctions or base themselves in countries where they can evade extradition.
• The sheer scale of online activity is an added complication.
• In one case in France, law enforcement authorities collected over 120 million text messages from 60,000 mobile phones.

Key aspects of the role of Internet in drug trafficking

Anonymity and Encryption

• The Internet, particularly through encrypted platforms and the dark web, provides a layer of anonymity to both buyers and sellers.
• Services like Tor (The Onion Router) allow users to browse the Internet anonymously, making it challenging for law enforcement to trace their activities.
• This anonymity shields traffickers from direct detection and apprehension.

Online Marketplaces

• The dark web hosts numerous online marketplaces, akin to illicit versions of eBay or Amazon, where users can buy and sell drugs without revealing their identities.
• These marketplaces often feature user ratings, reviews, product descriptions, and customer service.
• Transactions are typically conducted using cryptocurrencies, which further complicates efforts to trace the movement of funds.

Social Media and Messaging Apps

• Drug traffickers also leverage social media platforms and encrypted messaging apps to market and sell their products.
• These platforms are used for direct sales through private messages or to redirect potential buyers to other encrypted sites for transaction completion.
• The widespread use of these platforms makes it difficult for authorities to monitor and intercept illegal drug sales.

Mail and Delivery Services

• The Internet has facilitated a direct-to-consumer model for drug trafficking.
• Once a transaction is completed online, drugs are often shipped to consumers through regular postal and courier services, blending in with legal parcels and making detection more challenging.
• This method has expanded the geographical reach of drug traffickers, allowing them to operate and distribute globally with minimal physical risk.

Challenges for Law Enforcement

The use of the Internet for drug trafficking presents numerous challenges for law enforcement and regulatory bodies, including:

• Cybersecurity: The need for advanced cybersecurity measures and technologies to penetrate encrypted platforms without compromising the privacy of ordinary citizens.
• International Cooperation: Drug trafficking operations often span multiple countries, necessitating international cooperation and coordination to track and dismantle them.
• Legal and Ethical Considerations: The balance between surveillance for preventing drug trafficking and the protection of individual privacy and civil liberties.
• Adaptability of Traffickers: Drug traffickers rapidly adapt to law enforcement tactics, continually finding new ways to exploit technology and evade detection.

The manufacturing, marketing, movement, and monetization industries are particularly vulnerable to being exploited by those trafficking in dangerous substances.

• In many parts of the world, there is not enough affordable morphine available to meet medical needs.
• There was an acute need for medicines containing internationally controlled substances in 2023 for people caught up in natural disasters and emergencies related to climate change and conflict.

Efforts to Combat Online Drug Trafficking

Efforts to combat online drug trafficking include international collaborations such as INTERPOL and the European Union’s Europol, which work together to share intelligence, conduct joint operations, and dismantle online drug trafficking networks.

Additionally, many countries are investing in cybersecurity and developing specialized units to tackle cybercrime associated with drug trafficking.

• In Afghanistan, illicit opium poppy cultivation and heroin production declined dramatically. Alternative livelihoods need to be offered to affected farmers who may not have other sources of income.

Global scenario

• The opioid crisis continues to have serious consequences in North America with the number of deaths that involved synthetic opioids other than methadone continuing to increase, reaching more than 70,000 in 2021.
• Drug trafficking organizations continue to expand their operations in the Amazon Basin into illegal mining, illegal logging, and wildlife trafficking.
• Record levels of illicit coca bush cultivation were recorded in Colombia and Peru, rising by 13 percent and 18 percent respectively. Seizures of cocaine reached a record level in 2021 in West and Central Africa, a significant transit region for cocaine.
• Several European countries have continued to establish regulated markets for cannabis for non-medical purposes. These programs do not appear to be consistent with the drug control conventions.
• South Asia appears to be increasingly being targeted for the trafficking of methamphetamine illicitly manufactured in Afghanistan to Europe and Oceania.
• Pacific island States have transformed from solely transit sites along drug trafficking routes to destination markets for synthetic drugs. This is posing significant challenges to communities and their public health systems.

International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) is an independent, quasi-judicial expert body established by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961. It is mandated by the United Nations to monitor and support governments’ compliance with the three international drug control conventions:

1. The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, as amended by the 1972 Protocol,
2. The Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971,
3. The United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988.

The INCB has several key functions:

• Monitoring and Promotion of Compliance: The INCB monitors governments’ compliance with international drug control treaties, identifies and highlights areas where problems exist, and works with countries to address these issues. It publishes an annual report that provides a comprehensive analysis of the global drug situation, including recommendations to governments and international organizations.
• Ensuring the Availability of Narcotics and Psychotropics for Medical and Scientific Purposes: One of the core missions of the INCB is to ensure that adequate supplies of drugs are available for medical and scientific purposes while preventing their diversion into illicit channels. The Board supervises the estimates system for narcotic drugs and the assessment system for psychotropic substances.
• Prevention of Illegal Drug Manufacturing and Trafficking: The INCB endeavors to prevent the diversion of chemicals used in the illicit manufacture of drugs by monitoring the implementation of Article 12 of the 1988 Convention. It works closely with governments to improve their regulatory controls over substances frequently used in the manufacture of illicit drugs.
• International Cooperation: The Board facilitates international cooperation among governments, UN entities, and other relevant organizations to strengthen drug control efforts. This includes providing technical assistance and guidance on implementing the drug control treaties.
• Quasi-Judicial Functions: The INCB may also engage in confidential direct dialogues with governments to address compliance issues. In extreme cases, the Board has the authority to recommend measures, such as the reduction or suspension of the supply of drugs to countries that are not complying with the treaties, although such measures are considered a last resort.

Conclusion

While the Internet has provided drug traffickers with new avenues for conducting their operations, it also offers opportunities for innovation in law enforcement and regulatory responses. The dynamic nature of online drug trafficking requires continual adaptation and collaboration across borders to effectively combat this global issue.

INCB is encouraging voluntary cooperation between governments and online industries to tackle the misuse of legitimate e-commerce platforms for drug trafficking. Its initiatives such as the GRIDS program have led to drug seizures and arrests as well as criminal networks being dismantled.

Related articles:

• Narcotics Control Bureau
• NDPS Act, 1985
• Linkages of organized crimes with terrorism

-Article by Swathi Satish