UK drug dealers are earning more than their European counterparts and are making huge profits from the global online drug market. In a study by Rand Europe, UK drug dealers made £1.7 billion in online sales and had a 16 percent share of the global drug market. The US has the largest market share with 35.9 percent. The Dutch government commissioned Rand Europe to research the eight largest markets for common drugs on the dark web. Rand estimated that the most common drug sold on the dark web is cannabis, which accounts for 33 percent of sales. It is followed by prescription drugs such as Xanax, stimulants, ecstasy and psychedelic drugs.
The study found that the dominant transactions involve drugs that are typically purchased only for recreational use at parties, with heroin and crack not being popular online.
They report:
“A possible explanation for these differences between online and offline purchases may be that underground purchases typically require a design element that may not fit with the everyday use of addicts, such as heroin.”
The online drug bazaar was started by Silk Road, which was shut down in 2013. Users were able to use a difficult encryption program to make themselves difficult to trace, as well as Bitcoin to buy a wide range of drugs and other goods.
