The Korea Times
Buying illegal drugs has become as easy as ordering a pizza. This is especially true for teens and young adults who have grown up in the digital age, as drug trafficking has increasingly moved online. On platforms like Telegram and the dark web, users familiar with drug-related slang can easily locate dealers. Consumers simply place an order, pay with Bitcoin, and, once the transaction is complete, receive a message with instructions on where to collect their purchase. Pick-up locations are deliberately inconspicuous — places that passersby would rarely notice. Drugs are often hidden near post boxes, sewage drains, outdoor air-conditioning units or public restrooms. The transaction takes place in cyberspace, making face-to-face encounters between dealers, buyers and intermediaries virtually nonexistent. This system, combined with a delivery method known among law enforcement as “dropping,” has made it significantly harder for investigators to dismantle drug trafficking networks, as participants do not know one another. “In the past, teens and young adults with no prior history o
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