Is it an anonymous tip, random package search, Leo's on darknets? What???
how do LEOs discover most drugs in mail?
Is it an anonymous tip, random package search, Leo's on darknets? What???
[3 Points] Theeconomist1:
[2 Points] Twittermon:
What is the most common way I'm wondering
[2 Points] christmasfine:
They find it from someone talking in the real world. Good old fashioned police work - it's much cheaper and more effective.
[1 Points] iamjustsomejerk:
all of the above
[1 Points] illegaltorrents:
Most drugs are discovered when LE places controlled buys on the market. Then the entire package is profiled: stealth method, stamps used, package type, labels used, handwriting (if applicable), etc. Everything. Then similar packages from the same general geographic area can be potentially identified.
But even with all this, the vast majority of vendors operate with relative impunity. Identifying drugs in the mail is one thing, identifying the person behind it is quite different.
[1 Points] sshootanthraxx:
profiling is one way. dnm packages are easy to pick out. a majority of vendors i used ship in priority flat rates, with non printed postage i.e. a single stamp or multiple stamps, a printed label with a real address for return possibly fake name on the return. tracking will be a sticker i.e. the package will have been mailed NOT at a kiosk.
im in a highrise and of thosuands of packages i see a day youd be hard pressed to find otu without paid postage. anything ebay or amazon comes with printed paid postage.
anoyhter way is scent. they have random k9s walk through and if they alert to a package it goes from there.
seizures are another way, if you have a package seized at customs then you have more packages in transit they may flag the address'
or attention is drawn to their name or address for other easons i.e. local dealing, an arrest, etc.
[1 Points] 13tom13:
99.9% of it doesn't
I'll preface to say I'm far from an expert, there is a guy w/ username gwern who documetns a ton of the bigger arrests. From what I've personally read, it seems most drugs get discovered after a vendor is compromised - either their packages are profiles or they bust one and take over their online persona. That's one reason why you want to be careful when a vendor changes PGP keys - not like its always b/c they were busted (people lose their harddrives, they crash, etc).
I recently read, and posted on here, one instance where cops discovered cocaine being mailed after it was "returned to sender" b/c it was mailed to a vacant home - the return addy was to a real address/business who obviously wasn't the vendor and he turned it in. So in this case it goes without saying why people say to provide your real name and address.
Also, it depends if you if the mail is domestic or international. With international you've got customs. I don't think I've ever read of a case where it was found from a completely random search. It happens I'm sure, but from all I've read, a completley random search is unlikely and just bad luck. I still get paranoid about it though majorly, even though its unlikely. If it gets discovered randomly in the mail, I'd bet 99 out of 100 its bad stealth, the package ripped, things like that.
On a final note, I think people (customers) get caught due to circumstances other than DNM. They have activities IRL that draws LEO attention and thus gets their mail monitored.