- Telegram accounts selling drugs can be easily identified from both a combination of name, profile photos and description
- Some accounts include in their name clear terms linked to drugs (mushrooms, edible, caliweed, marijuana), often in English, though this is not very common. A clear reference to drugs is mostly encountered in the case of accounts selling marijuana or hallucinogenic mushrooms and less so in the case of opioids, for example.
- Most often the words they use cover terms indirectly associated to drug consumption. These can refer to the activity itself: [smoke], [trapping]; the effect it produces: [trippy]; the products being sold: [exotics], [plugs/plugs], [unkrau] [pills/pilz]; or the manner of delivery [T.Y.D/To Your Door].
- Accounts selling specific categories of drug, such as Oxycodone or MDM often employ the term [pharmacy] especially in the case of UK-based accounts, while in other EU countries they would language-specific synonyms such as [medicament], [medis], [laboratorja].
- Another coded word for drugs is the number [420]. This can also be included indirectly as profile photo.
- In the description, accounts selling drugs include emojis directly linked to different categories of products:🍁❄️ 🍫 🍄💊👽.
- Telegram accounts selling drugs are rarely, if at all connected to other accounts.
- Owners of these accounts often have several backup accounts with slight variations in the name (e.g. x_42, x_420, x_4200).
- Countries are not common mentioned in the description or the account name as delivery is provided internationally. Though there are some accounts, which clearly indicate in their name the country of operation (e.g. 420italy)
- Products are advertised with photo, short description of product, quality, price and country of origin.
- Other types of information included refer to means of payment (e.g. cash, cryptocurrency) and whether delivery is offered. It is important to note that door to door is never offered on first buy.
- Delivery differs significantly depending on whether the account is dedicated to a particular country, or it works internationally.
- Accounts working internationally mostly employ Priority delivery with tracking number shared with client, using multiple companies such as DHL, USPS, FedEX. The delivery is done to both lockers and home addresses.
- Accounts catering for a local market would include more options, including door to door, meet-up points as well as advertising buying opportunities in the context of certain events (e.g. announcing their presence at a certain music festival). Often these accounts also include clear indicators of time intervals when the ‘shop’ is open.
- In addition to the Telegram contact, many accounts also provide other contact alternatives, via WhatsApp or Signal.
- Some Telegram accounts selling drugs also sell other types of illegal products, such as false currency, cloned cards, firearms and prescription drugs (e.g. Ozempic)
