BRAZEN DEALERS GETTING Linked
Crooks hijack website
SHAMELESS dealers have hijacked a popular business network to sell drugs.
They are hawking party pills and prescription-only medications on LinkedIn, a legitimate website aimed at professionals.
Cocaine, heroin and ketamine are freely available using the site’s search bar.
Other dealers promise to ship the tranquiliser Xanax, “date rape” drug Rohypnol, morphine and Valium.
Another pusher even boasted of having good “customer service” and “leadership” skills on his profile.
Also available is the hallucinogenic 2CP which killed Holby City actor John Michie’s daughter Louella at last year’s Bestival music festival.
One dealer offered to supply five grams of 2CP – also known as Seventh Heaven or 7Up – for £140. He wanted payment via Western Union, MoneyGram or Bitcoin and said the Class A drugs could be shipped out overnight.
Another claimed he could ship overnight from the US for $150 (£107).
The drug is relatively new in the UK and is thought to mainly be made by Chinese laboratories.
Drugs expert Dr Stephanie Sharp said an increasing number of people are buying online.
She said: “There might be risks associated with visiting someone on the street.
“People might think they’re protected online, but it turns out you get the same evil stuff no matter where you get it.”
As the dark web, an encrypted corner of the internet that can only be accessed by special browsers, faces greater scrutiny from the government, dealers are looking to social media to sell their wares.
On April 11, the then Home Secretary Amber Rudd launched a £9million crackdown on criminals selling drugs and guns via the dark web. Dedicated cyber-crime units are also being set up.
Dr Sharp said she had never heard of drugs being sold via LinkedIn. She added: “That surprises me. Wow.
“But nothing surprises me too much anymore as to how people are acquiring these things.”
A LinkedIn spokesman said: “We take these types of reports very seriously.
“It’s absolutely not acceptable to offer sales of illegal drugs on LinkedIn and any activity of this type is a clear violation of our terms of service.
“Our team has investigated the reported profiles and taken the appropriate action.
“We have technical measures in place to identify violations of our terms of service and encourage members to report content they feel is of concern.”