Drug trafficking in Latvia moves online to Telegram and the dark web
A senior State Police officer says illegal drug sales have shifted from streets to encrypted platforms like Telegram and the dark web, where orders are placed via bots and payments made in cryptocurrency.
Ēriks Cērpe, head of Unit 2 of the State Police's Organized Crime and Serious Crimes Division, has stated in an interview with Delfi that drug trafficking has moved from traditional street corners to the digital realm. Today, buyers place orders using Telegram bots, pay in cryptocurrency, and receive the product from hidden caches.
This shift means that fighting illegal drug trafficking is no longer just a physical battle against criminal groups. Law enforcement increasingly faces challenges involving digital platforms, encryption, and international supply networks.
In the interview, Cērpe discussed key issues: which drugs are currently most prevalent in Latvia, why synthetic drugs are particularly dangerous, how technology has transformed drug trafficking, and Latvia's role in the international drug trade.
While technology is primarily designed to make life easier for law-abiding citizens, it is also being exploited by organized crime, making drug enforcement more complex and requiring new approaches and international cooperation.
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