Abstract
Darknet drug vending appears to be a multifaceted crime. Vendors use encrypted technologies to anonymously access cryptomarkets, engage buyers with effective advertising techniques, and employ stealth methods to send packages to buyers. What remains unclear is how these different methods come together in a single criminal process. This research addresses this gap by conducting a crime script analysis using 25 darknet drug vending ‘how-to’ guides. The developed crime script is then applied to 50 vendor arrest cases to test its application in practise. The results show that darknet drug vendors display a high degree effort in the completion of their crimes, and may be conceptualised, in partial contrast to traditional market drug dealers, as predominantly rational actors.
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Data Availability
The first dataset (how-to guides) generated during and/or analysed during the current study are not publiclyavailable as they were accessed predominantly through darknet forums, but they are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
The second dataset (case files) generated during and/or analysed during the current study are publicly available through the United States repository of criminal cases accessible through https://www.pacermonitor.com. A full list of the cases used in this study can be made available by the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Joyce, T. Following the (DNM) Bible? A crime script analysis of darknet drug vending. Crime Law Soc Change 80, 419–439 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-023-10093-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-023-10093-y