Dark Web Actors Fight For Drug Trafficking and Illegal Pharmacy Supremacy

The annual sale of illegal drugs on the dark web exceeded $470m in 2022, shows new data from Resecurity.

The report highlights the growth of the shadow economy and new communication methods used by criminals, including proprietary Android-based mobile apps and the launch of an underground marketplace called Kraken.

More specifically, the new report suggests that following the takedown of the Hydra Marketplace by Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office in April 2022, at least 10 darknet markets have risen to fill the regional void for drugs and other illicit goods.

Among these is the aforementioned Kraken, which Resecurity says has already accumulated over 1720 reputable sellers and shops selling illicit goods.

Most of the other underground marketplaces examined in the report were observed primarily fighting for brand recognition.

“[We] detailed the increasing tensions between different influence groups behind illegal marketplaces in the dark web – attacking each other, performing DDoS attacks and trying to abuse the reputation of competitors to capture a bigger market share,” the company told Infosecurity in a report summary via email.

Due to these cyber battles, several actors have moved from the now-closed Hydra to new marketplaces and have started leveraging alternative digital channels, including customized mobile apps and instant messengers like Telegram.

“The ecosystem of drug sales on the dark web poses threats internationally, [with] several epicenters primarily concentrated in Eurasia and Central Asia and actively used for drug trafficking,” said Resecurity.

The cybersecurity team also identified multiple drug shops on the dark web providing customers with personalized Android-based phones with pre-installed apps used for purchases, secure communications and sending instructions to couriers.

“The best way to protect yourself from counterfeit prescription drugs is to only buy medications from reputable sources,” warned Resecurity. “This includes licensed pharmacies, either in person or online, that require a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider.”

Looking forward, the security experts said they expect new marketplaces to emerge in 2023.

“As outlined in the report, geopolitics and drug trafficking have become inextricably linked, that’s why the volume of shadow economy in the dark web will [continue] to grow […] accelerated by ongoing tensions,” reads the advisory.

“The law enforcement community needs to develop new ways to monitor illegal drug trades in the dark web and adjust their tactics to the dynamically changing threat landscape.”

The Resecurity report comes weeks after the National Crime Agency (NCA) uncovered the identities of two drug traffickers after they unwittingly took photos of themselves and a pet dog.