Internet-mediated drug trafficking: Towards a better understanding of new criminal dynamics

Cyberspace has increasingly become an online marketplace for recreational drugs. The consequences that Internet usage has brought to drug trafficking, however, are still under-investigated. In this study script analysis was used to identify the structure of criminal opportunities that the Internet supplies for drug trafficking, and to allow a richer and deeper understanding of the dynamics of this criminal activity in the Internet age. This article provides an accurate description of how actors involved in drug trafficking behave in cyberspace and highlights how not only has the Internet opened the way for new criminal actors, but it also has re-configured relations among suppliers, intermediaries, and buyers. The conclusions suggest new directions for research and possibilities for a proactive law-enforcement approach.