The virtual drug trade has evolved, allowing customers to purchase substances easily through encrypted messaging apps. An investigation revealed a Paris-based operation using an Airbnb as a hub, processing around fifty deliveries daily. Traffickers implement marketing strategies to build loyalty, while a Moroccan leader manages importation and operations. With high earnings reported, the network employs strict compartmentalization and sourcing primarily from Morocco. France’s drug trafficking involves about 200,000 individuals, generating billions in revenue.
The Rise of Virtual Drug Trade
In today’s world, purchasing drugs has transformed into an almost effortless task, akin to ordering a meal through a mobile application. Customers no longer need to visit a physical location to make their purchases. A significant portion of the drug trade is now conducted via encrypted messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat. A team from ‘Sept à Huit’ managed to gain exclusive access to one of these ‘virtual dealing points,’ revealing the inner workings of this clandestine operation in a report available on TF1+.
Inside the Operations of a Virtual Drug Network
The operation takes place within an Airbnb-rented apartment, serving as the back office for one of the largest drug networks in the Paris area. On average, this hub processes around fifty deliveries daily. Each member of the team has a specific role, ranging from order preparers to delivery drivers, including a ‘cabin’ or receptionist who organizes customer requests and relays orders. In a corner of the room, a supervisor ensures that all tasks are executed efficiently, similar to a manager in a conventional business. Over the years, drug traffickers have increasingly adopted practices from the legitimate economy.
To build customer loyalty, they employ marketing strategies like unique packaging, often mimicking well-known brands, special promotions, and even freebies such as lighters or rolling papers. As one team member explained in front of the ‘Sept à Huit’ camera, ‘It’s all about standing out. A little attention for the customers makes them happy, and it makes us happy too.’ With approximately a hundred virtual dealing points in Île-de-France alone, competition remains intense, with some networks boasting thousands of clients.
Once a customer places an order, the team discreetly relays the delivery address to a courier through a separate channel, keeping them isolated from direct contact with the buyer. One delivery driver, 21-year-old Guillaume, shared that he has been in this line of work for a year, earning around 5,000 euros monthly. Despite the illegal nature of his job, which could lead to a five-year prison sentence and a 75,000-euro fine, Guillaume cites ‘money and adrenaline’ as his primary motivations. He takes a commission of about 10% from each delivery, claiming that the operation’s professionalization has minimized risks.
To evade detection, the team takes extensive precautions. When a ‘Sept à Huit’ journalist inquired about their frequency in the apartment, they replied, ‘All the time, and we never know when it will change; even we are not aware.’ The network is meticulously compartmentalized, with dealers recruited via Telegram who remain unaware of the identities of their order sources, allowing for rapid replacements if necessary.
Leading this ‘Uber-style’ operation is a trafficker based in Morocco, who oversees the importation of goods. In an interview, he boasted of being among the pioneers to transition his business to Telegram. Previously, he operated on the streets of a housing project in the Paris region but shifted his strategy six years ago following a conviction. ‘On the ground, for the police, it’s easy. They know your location. They observe the number of customers you serve each day. Here, in quotes, no one knows what you are doing,’ he explained. He claims his business generates approximately 15,000 euros daily, amounting to nearly 5.5 million euros annually, with potential for even higher earnings. ‘I know a shop near Marseille that brings in 30 to 40 million euros a year. That’s 100,000 euros a day,’ he added confidently.
The majority of the drugs are sourced from Morocco, with the trafficker claiming to collaborate with several local farmers. Cannabis is cultivated in expansive greenhouses, as revealed in the report. The products are transported by sea to Spain using high-speed boats before being routed to the Paris region. According to the Ministry of the Interior, drug trafficking in France involves around 200,000 active individuals and generates a minimum turnover of 3.5 billion euros.