Dark Web Intelligence Uncovers Fentanyl Trafficking Networks Persisting on Telegram - Part 1

Cyber Threat Intelligence

19 Mar 2025

Dark Web Intelligence Uncovers Fentanyl Trafficking Networks Persisting on Telegram - Part 1

Intro

The Trump administration prioritized combating fentanyl due to its devastating impact on public health and safety in the United States. The administration viewed the influx of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids as a national emergency. Fentanyl, being a highly potent synthetic opioid, was responsible for a significant portion of overdose deaths in the U.S. President Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency shortly after taking office, emphasizing the extraordinary threat posed by fentanyl and other drugs.

The opioid crisis, fueled by fentanyl, had reached alarming levels, with overdose deaths skyrocketing. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl were particularly deadly, as they are 50-100 times more potent than morphine. The administration sought to address this crisis to save American lives and reduce the burden on families and communities. Fentanyl trafficking was closely tied to organized crime and drug cartels, which posed broader public safety risks. The administration aimed to disrupt the supply chains of these dangerous drugs, particularly at ports of entry where most fentanyl was smuggled into the U.S.

The opioid epidemic, including fentanyl abuse, imposed significant economic and social costs on the U.S., including healthcare expenses, lost productivity, and strain on law enforcement and social services. Addressing the fentanyl crisis was seen as a way to mitigate these broader societal impacts.

Recently, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi highlighted the alarming potency of fentanyl, stating that just 1 kilogram of fentanyl can kill approximately half a million people. This stark statistic underscores the severe public health crisis posed by fentanyl and its derivatives, which have been a significant factor in the opioid epidemic in the United States. In her role, U.S. Attorney General Bondi has emphasized the need for a robust response to the fentanyl crisis, which includes targeting drug cartels and improving border security to prevent the smuggling of fentanyl into the U.S. Her statements reflect a broader commitment to addressing the opioid epidemic through a combination of law enforcement and public health strategies.

According to the recent statement published by the White House, drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) are the world’s leading producers of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and other illicit drugs, and they cultivate, process, and distribute massive quantities of narcotics that fuel addiction and violence in communities across the United States. These DTOs often collaborate with transnational cartels to smuggle illicit drugs into the United States, utilizing clandestine airstrips, maritime routes, and overland corridors.

Illegal drug trafficking has increasingly utilized sophisticated anonymous communication channels, including secure instant messengers (IMs) and peer-to-peer (P2P) applications. These technologies facilitate discreet interactions between buyers and sellers, making it challenging for law enforcement to monitor and intercept drug-related activities. This intelligence report provides a broader look at the underground ecosystem of drug trafficking, leveraging mobile digital communication channels as enablers of transactions:

Dark Web Intelligence Uncovers Fentanyl Trafficking Networks Persisting on Telegram - Part 1
https://www.resecurity.com/blog/article/dark-web-intelligence-uncovers-fentanyl-trafficking-networks...

Dark Web Intelligence Uncovers Fentanyl Trafficking Networks Persisting on Telegram - Part 2
https://www.resecurity.com/blog/article/dark-web-intelligence-uncovers-fentanyl-trafficking-networks...

Dark Web Intelligence Uncovers Fentanyl Trafficking Networks Persisting on Telegram - Part 3
https://www.resecurity.com/blog/article/dark-web-intelligence-uncovers-fentanyl-trafficking-networks...

In previous research publications, Resecurity highlighted the increasing trend of using mobile devices and related anonymous apps with enhanced privacy as the main communication channel between Dark Web actors, transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and drug trafficking organizations (DTOs).

A Breeding Ground for Illegal Activities

Despite a sweeping initiative announced by Telegram in September 2024 to crack down on illegal content hosted on its platform, professional drug trafficking channels have resurged on the messaging app, eluding the moderators’ purge. Additionally, drug trafficking-related content and menus have proliferated on Telegram’s “minimalist publishing” tool telegra.ph, revealing another glaring gap in Telegram’s content moderation practices.

Telegram has been identified as a popular platform among drug dealers for facilitating illegal transactions. Its features, such as encrypted messaging and the ability to create private groups, make it attractive for those looking to engage in drug trafficking without detection. This has led to a rise in the use of the app for selling various controlled substances, including fentanyl and other potent drugs.

Over the last five months, Resecurity’s HUNTER threat intelligence unit has discovered a plethora of professional drug trafficking communities promoting the sale of synthetic drugs like ketamine, 2-CB, mephedrone, and more traditional vice substances like cocaine, hashish, and cannabis. More alarmingly, HUNTER investigators uncovered multiple digital channels promoting the sale of deadly fentanyl products, with some listings surprisingly specifying traditional ecommerce methods as their primary payment rail besides cryptocurrency. Such accounts could be registered on money mules enabling further laundering of funds.

Drug traffickers have adapted to modern technology and commerce systems, abusing (misusing) traditional payment methods and e-commerce platforms to facilitate their illegal activities. Bad actors continue to use traditional financial systems, such as wire transfers and bank accounts, to move and launder money. Despite increased regulations and monitoring, traffickers employ tactics like intrabank transfers and layering funds across multiple accounts to make it harder for law enforcement to trace the origins of the money. E-commerce platforms and courier services have become a preferred method for drug traffickers to distribute narcotics. These platforms offer several advantages, such as anonymity, ease of access, and the ability to disguise illegal shipments as legitimate goods. In addition to traditional methods, traffickers are increasingly combining these with digital tools like cryptocurrencies and fintech apps. This underscores the need for enhanced regulatory measures, technological innovations, and international cooperation to combat these sophisticated "shadow economy" networks.

Following the arrest of Telegram's founder and chief executive officer, Pavel Durov, in France last August, the messaging app announced the following month that it had updated its ToS to deter criminals from abusing the platform. In addition to adopting a “more proactive approach to complying with government requests,” as noted by The Guardian, Durov announced on his official Telegram page that the company had assembled a team of AI-powered moderators to eliminate problematic content, with a focus on illegal solicitations discoverable via the app’s public search function.

Another criminal deterrent cited by Durov in his September announcement was Telegram’s newfound willingness to share IP addresses and phone numbers of users who violate the platform’s updated ToS with law enforcement, provided relevant authorities had submitted valid legal requests. In spite of these measures, HUNTER investigators found myriad drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) that have restructured their online operations and created new channels, effectively bypassing Telegram’s illegal content detection systems.

The presence of fentanyl markets on the messaging platform is particularly problematic. According to a Drug Enforcement Administration fact page, fentanyl is a “synthetic opioid typically used to treat patients with chronic severe pain or severe pain following surgery.” The DEA also noted that fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine and that as little as “two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on a person’s body size, tolerance and past usage.” Highlighting the lethality of the drug, the deaths of nearly 75,000 Americans were attributed to fentanyl overdoses in 2023 alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

This fentanyl fatality total represents a disturbingly continuous annual increase from 56,516 deadly overdoses in 2020, 70,601 in 2021, and 73,838 in 2022. The DEA has also noted that fentanyl intoxication is the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. The drug is considered so harmful that even established English-speaking dark web communities like Dread have banned all fentanyl-related commerce.

Fentanyl sale and sourcing ban, source: Dread

According to the DEA fact page, “illicit fentanyl, primarily manufactured in foreign clandestine labs and smuggled into the United States through Mexico, is being distributed across the country and sold on the illegal drug market.” Meanwhile, fentanyl precursors are typically smuggled into production hubs such as Mexico and Canada from countries like China and, increasingly, India. The criminally synthesized version of the drug is often “mixed in with other illicit drugs to increase the potency of the drug, sold as powders and nasal sprays, and increasingly pressed into pills made to look like legitimate prescription opioids,” according to the DEA.

In fact, counterfeit prescription pills are often the most common vector for fatal fentanyl interactions. A study published by the National Institutes of Health in May 2024 revealed that over 115 million pills containing illicit fentanyl were seized by law enforcement in 2023. According to previous DEA research, 42% of counterfeit prescription drug pills tested by the agency “contained at least 2 mg of fentanyl, considered a potentially lethal dose.”

Generally, these fentanyl-laced pills are pressed to imitate 30 mg OxyCodone tablets. Common counterfeit OxyCodone brands include Mbox/M30, K9, and A51. As the reader can see in the ‘Deebos Trippy Chat’ Telegram channel below, these M30 type of pills are generally blue and round.

Deebos Trippy Chat lists fentanyl-laced M30 pills for sale, source: Telegram

Typically, these pills are stamped with an M on one side and a 30 on the other. Alternatively, these dangerous pills can be found with K9 or A51 stamps. Notably, Deebos Trippy Chat and other Telegram DTOs create mirrors for their trafficking channels on social media platforms like X, Meta, and Snapchat.

Deebos Trippy Chat mirror link posted on X, source: X

The DEA also noted that there is a “significant risk that illegal drugs have been intentionally contaminated with fentanyl.” “Drug dealers have been mixing fentanyl with other drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, increasing the likelihood of a fatal interaction,” according to the DEA.

Beyond Mexico, Canada has also emerged as a meaningful node in the trafficking of fentanyl into the U.S, prompting President Donald Trump to threaten tariffs against the Great White North over the country’s perceived lack of political will to meaningfully combat the problem. While prevailing drug seizure data cited by the likes of The New York Times indicate that only one percent of fentanyl is trafficked into the U.S. by way of Canada, President Trump’s tariff rhetoric suggests he may be privy to counter-narcotics intelligence that reveals a broader threat panorama.

The following threat intelligence report will provide an overview of illicit drug trafficking channels HUNTER investigators discovered operating undisturbed on Telegram - including organizations that deal in fentanyl - even after the messaging platform announced a new commitment to compliance and user safety last year.

European Trafficking Hubs

The Telegram DTOs profiled by HUNTER investigators have a global operating footprint. Highlighting the resilience of European drug markets following several major counter-narcotics sweeps that supposedly sent “shockwaves” through the regional underworld over the last five years, HUNTER investigators discovered numerous flourishing online DTOs focused on the EU and UK markets. As of 2021, the EU drug market was estimated to have a retail value of at least €31 billion, according to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drugs Addiction. However, while there is no specific updated figure for 2025, the trend is increasing, considering the massive number of Dark Web resources
facilitating drug trafficking.

One such European DTO identified by HUNTER analysts operates under the moniker ‘DragonLabz.’ As noted by the Telegram posting below, DragonLabz ships “EU/EU or EU/UK.” Notably, the ad, which was posted in the xLeets Underground Market cybercrime channel, also says that “worldwide ships are possible.” Also, noteworthy is the following statement made by the DragonLabz team: “We are not another vendor, we [sic] producers.”

DragonLabz channel advertisement, source: xLeets Underground Market

As noted by the listing, the organization sells 3-MMC (a mephedrone analog), MDMA, ketamine, cocaine, and the international jet-set’s current drug of choice, 2-CB (tusi). In DragonLabz official Telegram channel featured below, the admin specifies that the organization ships customer orders from the Netherlands.

DragonLabz Telegram channel, source: Telegram

Given that DragonLabz describe themselves as European-based producers, their logistical positioning in the Netherlands is not surprising. The Netherlands have reigned as the leading hub for synthetic drug production in Europe since the 1980s. Even prior to the emergence of Mexican cartel-managed super lab operations throughout the Low Countries, the Dutch synthetic drug market was estimated to approach $22 billion, according to a 2017 report authored by the Police Academy in the Dutch city of Apeldoorn.

It should be noted that the majority of the Netherland’s illicit drug revenues are generated outside of the country, according to Statistics Netherlands. Last May, Dutch police announced that they had discovered and dismantled a record number of drug production laboratories in 2023. That year, Dutch authorities discovered 151 drug production sites – a 44% increase from 2022, according to a Dutch Police press release.

Common drugs that are produced or processed in the Netherlands today include cocaine, heroin, MDMA, and methamphetamine, according to the Dutch police press blast. Also noteworthy is DragonLabz’s claim that they have a 100% success rate when shipping within the EU and a 99% success rate when shipping to the UK.

Regarding payment, the DragonLabz team notes that they prefer that customers use the privacy coin monero to purchase their products. But the listing also notes that they are willing to accept payment in other cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin, for example. The group also directs users to explore their menu which is posted on Telegram’s anonymous telegra.ph blogging platform.

DragonLabz cocaine listing, source: te.legra.ph

Notably, the DragonLabz DTO is listing kilogram blocks of cocaine for €30,000. This pricing is remarkable, as a kilogram of cocaine could reach up to $60,000, or roughly double today’s rate, in Europe just three years ago, according to a 2022 Business Insider story that sourced commentary from an anonymous Sinaloa Cartel operator. Resecurity consulted a journalist from InsightCrime who explained that the staggering drop in wholesale cocaine prices is likely due to the explosion of supply across Europe.

Additionally, the 2024 EMCDDA report notes the “availability of cheap and highly potent or pure drugs,” adding that this is “particularly the case for cocaine, which has seen unprecedented levels of availability.” As of 2021, the EU cocaine market had an estimated retail value of €11.6 billion, or 37% of all regional illicit drug revenues, according to the EMCDDA. Astonishingly, the supply of cocaine in Europe has proliferated despite major counter-narcotics takedowns that were mobilized by the compromise of the EncroChat and Sky ECC encrypted crime networks in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

For example, 116 tons of cocaine were seized in Antwerp, Europe’s next largest maritime shipping hub, in 2023, setting a new record for drugs seized there for the second year in a row. These seizures unraveled a trafficking network that led to Belgium’s largest-ever drug smuggling investigation and trial. Last October, dozens of co-conspirators were sentenced to prison in Belgium as a result of this investigation. As noted by CBS News, “the case was in part based on evidence uncovered after investigators cracked the covert Sky ECC and EncroChat apps, which the gangs used to communicate.”

Yet despite these seemingly high-impact law enforcement interventions, the supply of cocaine has increased to the point that wholesale prices in Europe have decreased by roughly half of the standard rate that dictated the market at the time that this elite Belgian drug trafficking network was operating.

Synthetic Drug Branding

The crude dragon-like logo and design of the pinkish 2-CB tablets listed on the group’s Te.lagra.ph menu also appears to support the DTO’s claims that they are synthetic drug producers.

DragonLabz 2-CB listing, source: te.legra.ph

2-CB is a psychedelic stimulant that induces feelings of euphoria, enhanced sensory perception, and even hallucinations in some users. As noted by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, “the industrial- or large-scale tableting of synthetic drugs allows criminal groups to control branding using stamps, dies and colours, adding value to the product and possibly increasing export revenues by consolidating several layers of the supply chain.”

Broadly, narcotics logo branding servers three primary purposes: market differentiation and product identification, quality and potency indication, supply-chain traceability, and user safety. On this note, a treasure trove of counter-narcotics branding intelligence was recently leaked on the dark web. On February 6, 2025, a threat actor leaked INTERPOL’s Relief Database on Dark Forums. The Relief resource stores information collected by global law enforcement partners about the markings used by drug trafficking groups to brand and differentiate their illicit products.

INTERPOL Relief Database leak, source: DarkForums

As noted by INTERPOL, “officials in our member countries can check our database to see if the same device has been used to compress another seized drug package, in a different case, somewhere else in the world. Relief also stores information on tablet logos and the chemical composition of different drugs.”

Dark Web Intelligence Uncovers Fentanyl Trafficking Networks Persisting on Telegram - Part 2
https://www.resecurity.com/blog/article/dark-web-intelligence-uncovers-fentanyl-trafficking-networks...