Possibility of LE running functional vendor account for info

It seems like whenever anyone on this sub discusses the possibility of LE running a vendor page the immediate suspicion is that purchases from the vendor would possibly lead to immediate apprehension by LE. This seems like a stupid strategy though. It wouldn't be too difficult for someone who was raided soon after the buy to get bailed out, go on the forum, and warn everyone about their suspicions of the vendor. If I were running an investigation I would use seized evidence or another source to run successful transactions and deliver the product so no suspicion was aroused, then just compile a list of addresses on a watch list to bust through future investigations so it would be harder to correlate the busts to my page and pin down my vendor account as the source of the intel. This would also allow LE to watch the mail to the address for a while and allow small stuff to go through in order to wait til the biggest prospective bust they predict to move through, and pounce at the perfect moment. What do you guys think about the plausibility of this strategy. Are there any holes in my theory? IS it safe to assume that this is probably a technique currently used and that any currently reputable vendors could be cooperating with or being run by LE to collect info for future investigations?


Comments


[3 Points] ziz1:

Headline:

Police selling hard drugs to hundreds of people for months.

Several overdose deaths have resulted from the drugs 
the DEA sold to users via the "darknet". When contacted
by this newspaper, the DEA replied, "No comment".

It could happen, but it is a risky strategy PR wise. They could "run" a busted vendor but that could still result in blowback.


[1 Points] ToiletSniffer1992:

Its the same strategy as the allies used once they cracked the enigma code of the Germans in ww2. They knew where all the attacks were going to be and when but couldn't stop them all or the Germans would change the code. If LE are running vendor accounts (very likely) I would imagine them doing it in a way similar to that strategy (catch some, let some go). The only issue with this is them having to run multiple accounts with good reputations then looking for the same names or addresses showing up to see whose door they fancy kicking in that day (to steal their goods and possibly sell it back to them!)