US DoJ Launches Dark Web Drugs Taskforce

The US Department of Justice has launched another high-profile attempt to uncover drug-dealers hiding their tracks on the dark web.

Backed by attorney-general, Jeff Sessions, the new Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) team will focus specifically on illegal opioid sales.

President Trump declared opioid abuse a "health emergency" back in October 2017. Over 64,000 Americans died of overdoses in 2016, a 21% increase on the previous year, with three-quarters coming from drugs derived from the opium poppy.

Now his government is looking to make headlines with an eye-catching taskforce to tackle dark web sales.

J-CODE will more than double the FBI's investment in fighting internet-based opioid trafficking, with dozens of Special Agents, Intelligence Analysts and other staff being assigned to the new taskforce.

"Criminals think that they are safe on the darknet, but they are in for a rude awakening. We have already infiltrated their networks, and we are determined to bring them to justice," said Sessions in a statement.

"In the midst of the deadliest drug crisis in American history, the FBI and the Department of Justice are stepping up our investment in fighting opioid-related crimes. The J-CODE team will help us continue to shut down the online marketplaces that drug traffickers use and ultimately that will help us reduce addiction and overdoses across the nation."

However, where law enforcement has been able to crack dark web drug dealing in the past, it has largely relied on offline work and mistakes by the perpetrators to infiltrate networks.

For example, one dealer was caught out after eagle-eyed postal workers' suspicions were raised when he handed over packages wearing latex gloves.

In another case, the DEA traced a Bitcoin address for tips from satisfied customers and found it registered to suspected dark web dealer "OxyMonster."

J-CODE's detractors could claim that the current online crackdown is a distraction from the real problem: legal opioid sales and over-prescription -- a problem not seen to such an extent in the UK thanks to stricter NHS guidelines.

Abuse of the system appears to be growing, with bipartisan lawmakers flagging alleged "pill dumping" last September.


Comments


[17 Points] RasonJoss:

Riiight. Dealers are the culprits, not the pharmacies mass producing opiods


[7 Points] Intergalactic_Reborn:

What a fucking joke they honestly think people take the war on drugs seriously anymore.


[4 Points] CookyDough:

This deserves way more attention imo.


[3 Points] unauthrized:

Blast off fuck a task force.. go after the doctors prescribing fucking Morphine for a migraine all this will do is make prices go up more profit for others take a market down another one waiting do they not learn to let it be.


[3 Points] BitcoinCitadel:

Lmao

postal workers’ suspicions were raised when he handed over packages wearing latex gloves.


[2 Points] boofme:

what about the people buying or selling weed lmao guess that's a public health hazard too


[2 Points] TradingRealGfForRsGf:

Someone needs to call Trump the N-word to his face and end this once and for all.


[2 Points] MT_Merchant_Mangler:

I would be shitting my pants if I was a Fent dealer right about now.


[1 Points] SingleTabs_Vendor:

I won't lie my opsec as a buyer hasn't always been great. Sometimes I slack.

Fuck it now. I'll apparently be doing more monero transactions/crypto trades, might need to update tails but it's a pain in my ass, too bad it couldn't be done a little more smoothly without risking security.


[1 Points] MT_Merchant_Mangler:

This thread should be pinned. For real. /u/wombat2combat


[1 Points] SynisterSylar:

For example, one dealer was caught out after eagle-eyed postal workers’ suspicions were raised when he handed over packages wearing latex gloves.

Oh yea post-anthrax scare, that's not suspicious at all. I think the term "eagle-eyed" is being used a little loosely here


[0 Points] ThePoluninSnowCircus:

/u/fear1912 maybe pressure from US?