Online drug sales are increasing all over the world. Thanks to the rise in popularity of the darknet marketplaces, this trend will carry over to the next few years. Interestingly enough, the Dutch are leading the charge in online drug sales. Mostly ecstasy is being sold through Netherlands-based encrypted webshops, whereas cannabis only represents 9% of all orders.
The darknet allows people all over the world to buy and sell any goods they like. Bitcoin is the most commonly used form of payment, although it may be replaced by Monero very soon. Unfortunately for Bitcoin, it does not possess the privacy and anonymity traits deep web users seek.
Dutch Sellers Dominate The Darknet Drug Landscape
The growth of darknet marketplaces should not be underestimated by any means. Drug sales are among the most common transactions to take place through these encrypted webshops. A recent study by the Dutch justice ministry goes to show the country is one of the leaders in online drug sales.
Some interesting facts can be taken away from this report. First of all, cannabis is only a minor fraction of online sales through Dutch darknet vendors. Representing just over 9% of all transactions, cannabis is far less prevalent than most people think. Surprisingly enough, ecstasy is leading the charts.
But there is more to this report, as it shows nearly half of all transactions are settled for less than US$100. This is a tiny amount compared to other countries around the world. At the same time, one in four transactions is worth US$1,000 or more, which seems to be in line with similar reports from other regions.
All of this appears to indicate the majority of darknet drug buys are taking place with the purpose of redistributing drugs locally. Since goods can be purchased in a convenient manner, the term “drug dealer” has become very different over the past few years. Moreover, there are significant profits to be made by reselling drugs locally, despite the obvious risks associated with this process.
Despite this growing popularity of Dutch darknet vendors, they are still well behind the US, the United Kingdom, and Germany. When it comes to drugs, however, The Netherlands are the undisputed market leader. But is it a crown worth having when everything’s said and done? Only time will tell.
Source: Dutch News
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