Some 2.5 million Telegram ads for drugs in Netherlands last year
Some 2.5 million messages offering hard drugs, soft drugs, and medicines for sale in the Netherlands were posted on Telegram last year, according to a NOS analysis using an AI model. Drug criminals offer their services in public chat groups with thousands of members. Some of the groups have been active for years, the broadcaster reports.
Last year’s 2.5 million drug advertisements were posted in 21 different chat groups, focused on the sale of drugs and other illegal items. Hard drugs like cocaine and ecstasy were the most popular, but designer drugs and soft drugs were also widely available. The ads were often repeated in the various groups. NOS found almost 55,000 unique drug advertisements placed last year.
The providers - 9,900 in total - are active throughout the Netherlands. NOS spoke to 13 providers, all of whom confirmed that they sell drugs. Some specialize in a certain type of drug, only selling cannabis, cocaine, or designer drugs. But many advertise a complete range, from ecstasy to cocaine, from ketamine to painkillers. Most offer user quantities, but NOS found over 800 accounts that offer larger amounts of drugs - cannabis by the kilogram and ecstasy pills per thousand pieces.
The sellers consider Telegram an important advertising channel and an accessible way to acquire new customers, they told the broadcaster. After first contact, some sellers switch to other, more secure chat apps like WhatsApp or Signal.
The enormous number of drug advertisements creates the impression that Telegram hardly intervenes, but the messaging service told NOS that this is not the case. “Since our inception, we have moderated harmful messages, including the sale of narcotics,” a company spokesperson told the broadcaster. Telegram responds to user complaints and does its own “proactive monitoring,” the spokesperson said.
The police told NOS that they were acting against the Telegram trade, though they don’t think it is as extensive as the enormous number of ads suggests. “Just because you don’t see us doesn’t mean that we’re not there,” Nan van de Coevering of the police’s High Tech Crime Team said. “But with such a large supply, we, of course, have to make choices.” The police mainly focus on the big players, who are active on multiple platforms. They also give priority to arms trade, for example.
The police notice little of Telegram’s “active monitoring” and enforcement. The platform typically ignores police requests for information about suspicious users and does little to clean up the platform itself, Van de Coevering said.
