Hangzhou customs has busted a crossborder drug deal featuring the payment with bitcoin on the dark web, a new type of drug trafficking in China.
In December 2018, a local customs officer found an envelope sent from abroad with suspicious white powder inside, which was later identified as methamphetamine. A suspect surnamed Jiang was arrested in January 2019.
Starting from the end of 2018, Jiang placed three orders on the dark web - part of the internet that requires specific software, configurations, or authorization to access - and paid with bitcoin to buy methamphetamine. The purchased drug was then sent to China by post in parcels.
Customs officers said virtual currency and the dark web provide a more covert transaction environment for drug dealers, making it more difficult to investigate and trace the source of drugs. Enditem
