Currently circling around Europe is a popular drug known as"Devils Breath," which is used by criminals and sexual predators to perpetuate violence by putting victims into a situation where they have no control over themselves.
The drug can be found on the dark web and other e-commerce sites such as Alibaba for as little as $15USD for those who want to buy it.
Of course, there are other drugs used for similar purposes, but Devil's Breath is presently the most famous of its kind. It is also known as Scopolamine which, if used correctly, could actually treat some health problems as discussed by Reddit users who had various views on the subject.
Scopolamine is sourced from Columbia and shipped to other countries for various purposes, and in some case, medics even prescribe the drug to patients.
In previous years, reports of the drug being used in European countries such as Spain, France, and Denmark, among others nations across the globe. It is just recently that cases of the drug reaching the United Kingdom have hit the headlines.
The drug, due to its effectiveness in luring victims, is easily available on dark web markets such as Silk Road 3.1 and Dream Market-but at different prices of course.
However, the vendors who operate on Silk Road 3.1 have had their accounts banned/blocked for violating the terms of service laid down by the marketplace.
Darknet markets have a variety of rules set out to protect their sellers and buyers, so it is not yet clear what the vendors on Silk Road did to have their accounts blocked.
But there may be a few reasons that could lead to the suspension of a member from a darknet marketplace.
Among them is trying to scam buyers by not delivering the goods as described in the listings, saying they've sent the products when they have not, being rude to a member of the marketplace, among others.
The rules will differ from one marketplace to another. But what is important is that users follow the guidelines that have been set out by the marketplace they are using to transact business.
Silk Road 3.1, for instance, usually advises users not to deal with vendors banned from the site. They even go to the extent of blocking transactions between a potential buyer and seller.
The following message is displayed on SR 3.1 involving the vendor who offers the sale of Scopolamine:
"WARNINGThis user is currently suspended:
This vendor has not yet recovered his SR3 account. Please wait for this vendor to come back before ordering. This vendor suspended while we investigate his account. Orders cannot be placed. Do not send BTC to this vendor."
Then at the bottom of the listing, another message appears:
"Place Order This cannot be ordered because the vendor is blocked or banned"The above is further displayed to warn the members of the marketplace that any attempts to try and send Bitcoins to the seller will fail.
The revelations indeed show that even though marketplaces are well known to pull exit scams at the least expected moments, all hope is not lost as some markets indeed care about their customer base as well as their reputation.
Therefore, they do their best to stop vendors from taking advantage of clients and vice versa.
And if any is found guilty of trying to violate the systems, then they are automatically banned from the dark web site.
Another vendor who offers the sale of these drugs goes by the name "Prof.MDT" and operates in Dream Market.
Unlike the Silk Road vendors who are banned, the Dream Market vendor seems to be active, and one can place an order from him, as established by DarkWebNews.
However, one ought to take extra caution and read the terms of service before placing any order.
Since the drug contains substances that are illegal in some countries, the seller apparently makes it clear that he does not take any responsibility whatsoever if the package is stolen, lost or seized; but, in the event, any of the above transpires, then the buyer will negotiate with the seller for an amicable settlement.
However, the settlement is not just done to any newbie who purchases the merchandise then files a dispute or contacts the seller claiming he had not received the goods, as this encourages fraud.
Among the prime factors that determine this part is the popularity of the buyer and how they have been purchasing goods and services.
A marketplace like AlphaBay, which by the time of its seizure was the most popular darknet market, rated both buyers and sellers depending on the time they have had accounts and also depending on how they buy goods.
The system used by AlphaBay had two items: Trust level and Vendor level, where the lowest level in each case was 1 and the highest 10. The more elevated these ratings are, then the better an individual's reputation in the market.
Other sites rate users using stars or percentages. Depending on the preference of the site admins, any method will be used as they all serve the same purpose. There is also the possibility of some users faking reviews.
Now that the Devil's Breath drug is offered on e-commerce sites such as Alibaba as well as the dark web, individuals are likely to acquire it for various criminal activities.
As such, some government agencies such as the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office have warned tourists from Europe to be cautious when visiting countries where the drug is popular, such as Colombia and Ecuador.
In summary, the demand for the product is likely to skyrocket as reports of the drug reaching more countries continue hitting the headlines.
The only issue is that since there are no laws that regulate the use and distribution of drugs such as "Devil's Breath," then it remains legal to import the drug without any issue from authorities and customs management departments in some countries such as the U.K.
But, since there is clear evidence indicating the drug has been used for illegal purposes, the authorities can take action against the culprits.
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