Drug dealers are using advertising websites to openly sell drugs.
Illegal substances are listed for sale on sites, such as Craigslist, as household items. These items include antique table runners, chairs and mobile phones.
Craigslist, a free advertising website, allows users to sell items and post job listings. Users can create profiles with little personal information, meaning fake profiles are rife.
Advertisement listings for class A drugs use legitimate wording on Craigslist; the photographs reveal what actually is for sale. Drugs currently listed include cocaine, ketamine, marijuana and MDMA.
The drug dealers can be contacted via Craigslist directly, although buyers are often scammed. Clients who pay upfront are often blocked once payment has been received.
Brooklyn-based drug dealer, Mikey*, said: “Craigslist is decent, but it doesn’t generate all of my income. I use multiple channels for traffic because on Craigslist and Instagram they remove your sh*t a lot. It helps to be tech savvy like myself, but unless you know what you’re doing, it’s very hard.”
He continued: “Almost all of my customers are repeat customers, and a third have come from Craigslist.”
Drugs aren’t the only taboo items sold on Craigslist. Selling sex is common; people list themselves ‘for sale’ stating their age, weight and bra-size. One particular listing said: “Hi, I am a female University student in need of £400 for rent. I will do anything you want. I’m in Central London tonight. I’m 20, weigh 136 pounds and a 34C.”
These taboos are a global issue for the advertisement site.
We contacted Craigslist for a comment but have not received a response.
*their name has been changed to protect their identity
