How dealers use Facebook to sell illegal drugs to people here
Investigation reveals extent of prescription medication sales online from across the world, writes Ian Begley
DRUG dealers are using social media giant Facebook to sell illegal prescription drugs including painkillers, opioids and powerful sedatives to Irish customers.
After an extensive investigation into the sale of dangerous prescription medication online, the Irish Independent can reveal that:
■ Drugs like fentanyl, the drug that killed music icon Prince, which is 50 times stronger than heroin, are just a few clicks away thanks to online dealers;
■ The drugs are shipped to Ireland from as far afield as Cameroon;
■ The cost of 100 painkillers is just €60;
■ Illegal narcotics such as cannabis and ecstasy can also be purchased on the social media giant.
When contacted, Facebook failed to remove the pages.
“It was a mistake not to have removed the reported pages,” the company said.
Hundreds of profiles and pages on Facebook are openly advertising the illegal sale of prescription drugs to countries all around the world, including Ireland.
To prove their legitimacy, the online dealers post timestamped photos of their stock and carry out transactions in private messages.
Using a false name, we contacted several drug sellers to find out if an Irish customer can purchase illegal drugs.
“I ship to Ireland all the time, pal,” said one dealer from Cameroon.
“I mostly sell Xanax and diazepam [both anti-anxiety medications], but I can get my hands on tramadol and pregabalin [both strong pain killers] if you give me a bit of time. Two-hundred-and-fifty pills of diaz will cost you €100 and it’s €60 for 100 pills of tramadol. I also got weed as well.”
A dealer, claiming to be from Cyprus, said the social media site was an ideal platform to sell his stock.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time on Facebook. They don’t care and I’ve never been banned.
“Everyone uses Facebook, that’s why it’s a great place to sell,” he said.
Another drug peddler from Cameroon said: “I get my supply from pharmacies and even from hospitals.
“You can’t buy them here without a prescription, but I have a lot of contacts and am old in this business.
“It’s 100pc safe to ship [to Ireland] and I can have your meds sent out in two days with express delivery.
“No need to use a fake name or different address – just transfer the money through Western Union.”
Several dealers were also openly advertising fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that has caused an epidemic in the US, killing more than 20,000 people in 2016 alone.
The admin of the Facebook page ‘Fentanyl Patches $100’ offered to sell me 100 mcg (micrograms) for €120, including overnight delivery.
“I accept my payment through Western Union or Bitcoin.
“So if you are interested then get back to me via my email for payment info,” he said.
In 2016, the HSE issued a public warning about fentanyl after five people died of overdoses in Dublin and Cork. In the same year, gardaí also warned of its dangers.
“People genuinely aren’t aware of what they’re taking,” said Det Supt Tony Howard.
“The criminals manufacturing these drugs are putting it into heroin and cocaine. It’s cheap. It’s easy to add it to give the individual a stronger buzz.
“We at An Garda Síochána would support the view that we should have abstinence, but in the real world if you’re taking drugs, you really don’t want to take them on your own because with fentanyl, the quicker you get medical assistance the better chance you have of surviving.”
But while the social media site appears to be a drug abuser’s paradise, it’s also rampant with scammers.
To combat this issue, many private, localised groups have been created to act as a safer platform for drug users and dealers to congregate.
To test Facebook’s efficiency at taking action against users that sell drugs, the Irish Independent reported 19 offending pages and profiles.
Among these, nine pages were removed, but only two profiles were taken down.
Whenever Facebook refused to take down an account, it issued an automated statement.
“We’ve looked over the profile you reported, and although it doesn’t go against any specific community standards, we understand that the profile or something the person shared may still be offensive to you,” it said.
However, its community standards clearly state that it prohibits “any attempts by unauthorised dealers to purchase, sell or trade prescription drugs, marijuana, firearms or ammunition”.
We shared the findings with the social media giant, who agreed every reported account should have been promptly removed.
“We’re grateful to the Irish Independent for bringing this content to our attention,” a spokesperson said.
“We have now removed all of the pages, which violate our policies, and we are sorry that this occurred.”