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Silk Road: The eBay of Illegal Drugs

  • 29-08-2013 7:00am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,350 ✭✭✭


    http://www.killyourdarlingsjournal.com/?post_type=article&p=7478
    Half a dozen people sit around a lounge room in a funky inner-Melbourne apartment, sipping on beer and wine, each tapping away at a laptop. They’re all on their favourite website competing with people from around the world. But this is no geek-fest full of pasty, anti-social nerdlings who can only relate to pixels on a screen, nor is it a virtual gambling den with members playing poker games across cyberspace.
    ‘Woo hoo!’ cries a young man in his late 20s. ‘Seventy-five dollar voucher!’ The others are happy about his good fortune and eager to know what he’s going to spend it on. He scans the goods for sale, searching for the best value.
    ‘I think I’ll get a gram of MDMA from Germany.’
    The others nod in approval; that will make eight strong ecstasy capsules, enough to see him through three weekends of partying. They all go back to their computers, calculating purchases and hoping they’ll win their own prize.
    Every seven minutes, a lucky user somewhere in the world receives a private message telling them they’ve won anything from $20 to a Macbook Air. Not that it really matters if they win; like pretty much everything these days, the purchases made online are about a quarter of the price they would be expected to pay in a face-to-face transaction in Australia. They win regardless.

    I was at a party a few weeks ago and one of the guys mentioned that he recently purchased drugs online. He didn’t mention which site or how much he paid for them but it got me interested. I always knew illegal drugs were available online but didn’t know how easy to were obtain. I don’t do drugs but I was curious to see what is out there. I did a quick Google search and came across a few articles about Silk Road.

    I’m baffled that a site like this can continue without the authorities shutting it down. Apparently there has only been one conviction so far – from what I’ve read – in which the Australian authorities intercepted a package and raided a house in which they found passwords and user name to the website along with packages of drugs. Other than that they seem powerless. They dealers are apparently sophisticated enough that they can conceal packages from most border controls.

    I have to agree thou – it looks like a better system that is in place now. Which implies risking your safety meeting a dodgy dealer down some back alley. It would also cut down on a lot of the gangland killings as dealers are competing with each other online and will have to come up with a clean product. Through Silk Road you buy directly from the supplier cutting out the middle man. I can out on average about half a dozen middle men. Users also have the option to read reviews of the product which would give a better idea of what they are buying and if it was highly contaminated / mixed with dangerous substances such as rat poison.

    So what do you think?

    Mods notes that I have absolutely no affiliation with this website. I don’t do drugs and completely condemn the use of illegal drugs. It just amazed me that a site like this exists.


    Mod Note: Please don't quote full articles.


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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 927 ✭✭✭Hasmunch


    Half a dozen people sit around a lounge room in a funky inner-Melbourne apartment

    GiftofGab
    Location: Melbourne
    I don’t do drugs and completely condemn the use of illegal drugs.

    Sure a friend told you all about this!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 906 ✭✭✭Eight Ball


    Joooooooooooooooooooooooooe Duffy wont like this.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,562 ✭✭✭✭Sunnyisland


    Way to long to read at this hour of the morning.


  • Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    If its so easy to just send stuff in the post why is there a big thread about 2 20 year old girls in jail in peru?


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,180 ✭✭✭Sunglasses Ron


    It's not as simple as going to the Silk Road website or anything.

    You first have to access something called the Deep Web (god knows) and pay with some crap called Bitcoins.

    Basically the thing looks so complicated it gave me a headache.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,230 ✭✭✭Leftist


    realies wrote: »
    Way to long to read at this hour of the morning.

    this.

    summarize it in 2 sentences please.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,325 ✭✭✭✭mariaalice


    Its news? that people are buying drugs on line after the head shops closed down!

    I don't know how it could be stooped.


  • Registered Users Posts: 20,171 ✭✭✭✭jimgoose


    Ah yes, good old *.onion.net. Crazy place, and a great yoke to stay away from.


  • Registered Users Posts: 20,392 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    If its so easy to just send stuff in the post why is there a big thread about 2 20 year old girls in jail in peru?

    These appear to be young professional types who haven't had their lives disassembled by taking drugs yet.
    Your average junkie probably can't wait for the post.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,325 ✭✭✭✭mariaalice


    kneemos wrote: »
    These appear to be young professional types who haven't had their lives disassembled by taking drugs yet.
    Your average junkie probably can't wait for the post.

    Its called recerational drug use to make it sound better and to distance themselves from the junkies.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    Not doing drugs is an even cheaper, healthier, and much less dangerous way of working.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,230 ✭✭✭Leftist


    Not doing drugs is an even cheaper, healthier, and much less dangerous way of working.

    Great insight. Can't believe more people haven't thought about this.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    Leftist wrote: »
    Great insight. Can't believe more people haven't thought about this.

    Yep. Sometimes the simplest answer is staring you right in the face. :)


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,300 ✭✭✭✭Seaneh


    If its so easy to just send stuff in the post why is there a big thread about 2 20 year old girls in jail in peru?

    Because before someone in The US/Europe can post drugs from their apartment to someone on the other side of the world, they need to get their product. They have to source a supply for a product before they can sell it on, and that is where mules come in. The lads selling over Silk Road are buying their 1kg at a time from the same place the local scumbags supplying their junkie clients are, they aren't growing the stuff themselves.


  • Registered Users Posts: 19 mickc10


    It's not as simple as going to the Silk Road website or anything.

    You first have to access something called the Deep Web (god knows) and pay with some crap called Bitcoins.

    Basically the thing looks so complicated it gave me a headache.

    If you dont know what Bitcoins are you should look it up. Many commentators reckon it's the future in the way it will take over from current transaction systems on the Web. Just this month it was acknowledged by Germany as being a legal form of private currency. And if ze Germans back it....


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,163 ✭✭✭✭danniemcq


    Mod note: Try and keep this on a discussion on the Silk Road. DISCUSSION ON HOW TO ACCESS/USE IT IS NOT PERMITTED.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 60 ✭✭BlueJohn


    One of my friends died this year from getting stuff off the site. Well it was a concoction of things including sleeping tabs which led to it. But he was getting some stupid **** of that site.


  • Registered Users Posts: 20,392 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    danniemcq wrote: »
    Mod note: Try and keep this on a discussion on the Silk Road. DISCUSSION ON HOW TO ACCESS/USE IT IS NOT PERMITTED.

    How to access has been explained in detail in the op.


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,066 ✭✭✭✭Grayson


    A feedback system is interesting. Rewards good drug dealer and doesn't reward bad ones. lets face it, the biggest danger for most drug takers is the crap that the drugs are cut with. Most of the time when you hear about someone dying it's because of a bad batch.


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,066 ✭✭✭✭Grayson


    BlueJohn wrote: »
    One of my friends died this year from getting stuff off the site. Well it was a concoction of things including sleeping tabs which led to it. But he was getting some stupid **** of that site.

    I had friends who would drink harpic if they were told it was a great buzz.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 14,163 ✭✭✭✭danniemcq


    kneemos wrote: »
    How to access has been explained in detail in the op.

    boards.ie is not responsable for content on other sites. The post itself does not mention specifics.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭Lightbulb Sun


    kneemos wrote: »
    How to access has been explained in detail in the op.
    Don't see where the access details are mentioned in the OP. The site only works through one specific web browser which i won't mention here.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,689 ✭✭✭Karl Stein


    They'll never reduce drug abuse by banning them - does anyone even believe that's the goal of prohibition any more? They know banning drugs has been a total failure but there are too many vested interests in drugs remaining illegal.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,344 ✭✭✭Ray Palmer


    "that will make eight strong ecstasy capsules"

    I didn't even know ecstasy came in capsules it was only ever tablets. Maybe I am just too old and out of the loop


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    Not doing drugs is an even cheaper, healthier, and much less dangerous way of working.

    So you don't take drugs at all? No caffeine, nicotine or alcohol?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    So you don't take drugs at all? No caffeine, nicotine or alcohol?

    To quote the immortal Phil Collins,

    'I will take good care of you
    If you just do as I say, don't do as I do'


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,825 ✭✭✭Timmyctc


    Accessing the whole thing is easy. Was on it looking at it myself a few months back. Its funny seeing someone trying to ship a brick of heroin and it says 98% positive reviews alongside his name.

    I know a friend of mine in the North was approached by a guy he had met once before briefly and he asked if it was alright to get post sent to his address (we live on the border so its not a totally unusual request to get things posted to the other side of the border) yer man's post came and he opened it up there and then and shur wasn't he only ordering off the Silk Road.

    Threw me mate a few bob for letting him post it there and asked if he could keep at it. So it very much is capable of working. Not sure what happens if ye get caught out however.

    <<MOD: snip, read the mod note>>


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,382 ✭✭✭petes


    So you don't take drugs at all? No caffeine, nicotine or alcohol?

    Why does this bs always come up when someone says they don't take drugs? I got what TBM was saying and so did you. You are just being pedantic for the sake of it!


  • Registered Users Posts: 20,392 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    petes wrote: »
    Why does this bs always come up when someone says they don't take drugs? I got what TBM was saying and so did you. You are just being pedantic for the sake of it!

    If you drink alcohol it somehow makes it ok for everyone to take illegal drugs.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,587 ✭✭✭Pace2008


    petes wrote: »
    Why does this bs always come up when someone says they don't take drugs? I got what TBM was saying and so did you. You are just being pedantic for the sake of it!
    The whole alcohol comparison is fair in this case. It's not really valid when people are trying to use its legal status as a rationale for legalising other psychoactives as, for better or worse, alcohol is one of the easiest mind-altering chemicals to synthesise and has been the drug of choice for millenia in the dominant western world. Pandora's box has been well and truly opened and there's no closing it at this stage. The majority of voters an legislators enjoy getting high on this drug so there is no real desire to curtail its use.

    But when people start looking down on others for taking other psychoactives, it's a reasonable card to play. Alcohol , on the whole, has been deemed to more dangerous - to the individual and to society - than many popular recreational substances like MDMA and weed in a number of studies on relative drug harms, the ACMD Lancet study probably being the most (in)famous. You're not in any position to go bleating about people ruining their lives taking drugs you don't personally like when you're a consumer and supporter of a more destructive chemical.


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