Crystal meth cooked in Breaking Bad-style labs being sold to teens on ‘dark web’
Crystal meth is being cooked in Breaking Bad-style drug labs and shipped to the UK.
Crime gangs are churning out the stimulant in makeshift factories in Holland before selling it via encrypted phone apps.
And pushers are ready to flood nightclubs with supplies when they reopen next month.
We found sellers on the Telegram messaging service and the “dark web” offering doorstep deliveries.
One boasted of their “high ethical standards and resolute commitment to clients”.
Experts warn Mexican cartels have sent specialist meth “cooks” to Europe to boost the quality of supplies.
There has been a spike in demand for the drug – also known as ice, Tina and glass – especially among 16 to 24-year-olds. Some 5,000 people in that age group reported taking it in the 12 months to April 20, up from just 1,000 the previous year.
Many Britons became aware of methamphetamine when it featured in TV hit Breaking Bad. It told the story of chemistry teacher Walter White who began producing the drug under the pseudonym Heisenberg after finding out he had lung cancer.
Now dealers are using the show’s popularity to sell meth online.
On the encrypted app Telegram, one even calls himself Heisenberg to attract customers.
He promises buyers a “98.7% pure” product with “discreet delivery and stealth packaging”.
Meth is also being sold over the dark web to UK buyers in quantities from 20g at £290 to 100g at £725.
The seller claims: “Our products are clinically tested which drives our commitment to provide solutions that address unmet medical and recreational needs.
"Our high ethical standards and resolute commitment to clients helps us drive to improve online transparent communications.
Get latest news headlines delivered free
Want all the latest shocking news and views from all over the world straight into your inbox?
We've got the best royal scoops, crime dramas and breaking stories – all delivered in that Daily Star style you love.
Our great newsletters will give you all you need to know, from hard news to that bit of glamour you need every day. They'll drop straight into your inbox and you can unsubscribe whenever you like.
You can sign up here – you won't regret it…
“We offer online shipping with trusted logistics partners. Your online transactions are processed through highly secured payment gateways.”
They even offer a “money-back guarantee” to potential buyers.
The National Crime Agency has previously warned of “strong indications of methamphetamine production in the North West of England”.
While Dr Mohammed Qasim, from the London School of Economics, reported: “There is intelligence that organised crime groups are setting up laboratories in Europe.
“Some which were previously manufacturing large quantities of MDMA (ecstasy) are now producing meth, making it much easier to import.”
A police source said biker gangs had the capability and connections to smuggle it from Holland.
He said: “We were always expecting it to hit the UK, but it never really caught on.
“Now that’s about to change. There’s intelligence that it’s ready to move from Holland and the Czech Republic and that biker gangs – especially the Outlaws, who operate in most of the EU member states – are poised to take control.”
Source: Read Full Article