On a magnet or in the ground: how the Russian Anonymous Marketplace works

Convenience, anonymity and relative safety - this is why drug users and dealers fell in love with Darknet. Discourse publishes an article by Mikhail Shubin from the second number of the Almanac Moloko Plus about Russian Anonymous MarketPlace (RAMP) - the largest site for the sale of drugs in Russia.

At the time of delivery of the RAMP number, the RAMP has been subjected to DDOS attacks for more than a month and was not available. RAMP never came to life. It is still not clear what happened to the site and its creators, and whether she will restore her work. This text is a kind of epitaph once the largest drug for the sale of drugs in the Russian-speaking segment of Darknet.

Ten in the morning. The last three days Kira did not sleep - she wrote a candidate. The work remains for a few more days, if not distracted by sleep. To do this, she needs to go for amphetamine hidden in one of the Yekaterinburg parks.

She laments boots. It takes with it a five -liter bottle of water and several plastic cups. Puts sandwiches in a backpack and a spoon for shoes. Kira checks the charging of the phone. She is annoyed by the dog that asks to eat. Trying not to break into the animal, Kira puts the food in a bowl and pours water. Before the exit, Kira burns out in the nose of AIDS -diluted in the water - dropped in every nostril to relieve withdrawal.

The road to the park takes 40 minutes. Kira specifically chose a remedy with drugs with drugs to take a walk and unwind. Together with her, dog lovers come out of the tram. Not far from the stop, the police miss the stop.

In the phone, Kira has a bookmark coordinates and a photo of the place in which the AIDS is hidden. After payment, she was sent from the store. The bookmark lies near the alley, along which the skiers scurry. Kira goes through snowdrifts. Five minutes later, she sits down in the forest on the nearest fallen tree and takes out the phone to make sure that she was not mistaken.

Somewhere behind the trees, silhouettes of several people flicker. One of them looks at something in his hand, the other, squatting, picks in the snow. Kira smiles. Seeing the approach of a man with a dog a little in the distance, a graduate student takes out sandwiches and pours water from a bottle into a glass. Although she does not want to eat at all.

The owner and the dog go into the distance, men, visible from the trees, disappear. Kira removes sandwiches and pours water from the canister to the ground.

There is nothing under melted snow.

The girl tries to pick the ground with a spatula for shoes, pretty scratched against stones and smeared in the ground after past walks. A dumb shoulder blade is useful if you do not want to tear a buried bag. Finding nothing, she methodically pours water into the snow around. Nothing.

Desperate, Kira leaves. She scolds to herself a putman who guessed to hide a transparent bag with light speed in the snow. On the way to the tram, the girl opens Tor and enters the RAMP. Bitcoins should be enough for three grams of speed and a gram of hash, which will help someday fall asleep.

Brief story RAMP

RAMP (Russian Anonymous Marketplace), which is used by Kira, is the largest drug for the sale of drugs in the Russian -speaking darknet. You can get on it through a special anonymous browser - Tor. It was developed by US military scientists in the mid-90s to protect civil servants on the Internet. By transmitting information, Tor encrypts the data and changes the IP address of the user. Anonymity is achieved thanks to several encryption layers. Now Tor is declassified, the source code of the program is in the public domain. The development of the browser is engaged in enthusiasts. The browser allows you to visit blocked resources and gives access to the intra -meter .onion domain.

The crime drew attention to the Tor only after the bitcoins-cryptocurrency, which allowed anonymously conducting online caskets for any money, gained widespread. Trade platforms for the sale of drugs, weapons, fake documents, credit cards began to appear on the network. People trading, killers, snuff-muvi and children's porn have become an integral part of Darknet.

With the advent of stable versions of Tor, the Russian -speaking space began to develop on the network. The first platforms opened: Porn forums, Dragdile sites, weapons and spy gadgets selling stores.

In 2012, RAMP appeared in the Russian -speaking darknet. Along with it, there are Hydra and Russian Silkroad (now - Hydra), Rutor, Wayaway, Bazaar, Anthill and several more small sites.

At the time of writing, these sites were visited by dozens, and possibly hundreds of thousands of people, but RAMP remains the largest and most popular: more than 270 thousand accounts and 1.3 million messages. The remaining sites are not very popular due to the lack of support from the administration in the decision of controversial issues on transactions and due to unreliable dealers.

RAMP founded a certain Darkside. On his behalf, many posts were created with the rules of the forum and shops. Darkside only once came to contact with the press. In 2014, he told Wared that he earns 250 thousand dollars a year on RAMP.

In 2017, Darkside did not write a single noticeable post. A year earlier, the administration was already left by Orange. He edited the old posts of the RAMP founding father. In October 2016, Orange wrote a post in which he announced that he was leaving for a “white life”, that is, he leaves the drug business. Who took the vacant place, and whether it was freed is unknown. How many people are hidden under the nicknames of the forum administrators is also unclear.

Megamoll with drugs

Kira learned about RAMP in 2016. When registering, she agreed with the rules of the forum. “Any commercial offers that do not directly or indirectly have the subjects of the resource are prohibited,” one of the points warned it. In other words, only drugs can be sold, almost any. The only substances prohibited for sale are spice, which is reported during registration.

On the main page of RAMP, Kira saw a forum with a design from the mid-2000s. Instead of the usual advertising banners for the sale of irons and cars, bright pictures with the text caught her eyes: cocaine, Extasy euro pills, grass, hash, LSD, AMF.

In order to open the store, the dealer pays the RAMP administration. One of the conditions for putting the goods for sale is the disclosure of the exact formula of the substance sold. The higher the seller’s branch on the main page, the more money he pays the administration. Banners also cost the dealers to an additional thousand dollars monthly. There are practically no free places for advertising.

Often, the purchase procedure takes place in so -called instant stores, and the forum remains only in a platform to discuss various issues and communication between drug users on different topics. Starting from tripports and FAQ for security and protection against criminal prosecution, ending with questions about the treatment of veins and first aid for an overdose.

More than 100 large stores are opened on RAMP, the number of transactions of each of which ranges from 5 to 10 thousand, sometimes higher (for what period of time this number of transactions is produced, it is not indicated - approx.). In addition to them, there are about 500 small dealers. In noun stores-cheaper, in famous brands-more expensive. Large stores make discounts for regulars and work for reputation. They have high -quality bookmarks and orientation on customers - buyers solve the problems of customers promptly.

“For newlyers (new customers - approx. Aut.) Now the price is several times more expensive. Take care of your accounts and be honest customers, ”the description of one of the large stores said.

Instant RAMP stores do not differ from ordinary online stores. Drugs are sorted by categories and the region, there is a list of the best stores. Substances are available almost throughout the Russian Federation, as well as in the CIS.

To buy AIDS, Kira first transferred money to the wallet. Depending on what method of payment the store accepts, the client replenishes either his QIWI wallet or bitcoin account. The administration wrote a detailed instruction on how to do it.

After Kira selects the seller and indicates her city, she will be provided with two options for receiving drugs.

The shops have “finished treasures”, which were laid out in advance around the city. People pass by these “ready -made bookmarks” every day, but do not notice them. Transformer booths, garages, window sills, cemeteries, parks, trees, basements, public toilets. Drugs lie under the slabs, attached to the magnet, buried in the ground, sprinkled with leaves or covered with stone. Often when buying, you can choose a bookmark area.

After payment, the client receives a description of the location of the treasure, GPS coordinates and photos. “Ready -made treasures” allow you to get an order as quickly as possible - sometimes the time between payment and receiving a “treasure” takes less than an hour. So only small batches are sold - not more than a few grams, depending on the substance.

Another option is a laying on order. It is used for large volumes and wholesale sales. Within 48 hours, after the transaction is concluded, the buyer is made. Most often - outside the settlement. For communication with the dealer, encrypted communications are used.

Guarantors and care

For customer insurance, the administration has developed a guarantor system. For 5%that the buyer pays RAMP from the amount of the transaction, the administration will participate in disputes with the dragdler. For example, if the treasure is not found, the client opens a dispute, the opinions of the parties are heard, and the guarantor acts as an arbitration judge. The guarantors receive their 5% in any case - regardless of how the transaction has passed.

The seller cannot refuse the client who wants to work with the guarantor. Otherwise, as the rules say, "the seller may be deprived of the status of the dealer and the ability to provide his services on the site."

No one forces customers to use the guarantor, but the administration recommends that. If the transaction is completed without an intermediary, the buyer will solve issues with the dealer one on one.

Kira bought AIDS without a guarantor and did not open the dispute. She hoped to find the bookmark in the spring after the snow melts. In the spring there was no laying on the spot. Whether the dealer deceived her, or the bookmark was “hidden” by other buyers, whose treasure lay nearby, Kira does not know, but she will not buy anything more from this dealer.

The main guarantor in major transactions is the ORBIT administrator. He is an intermediary for wholesale purchases, the amount of which may exceed a million rubles.

Shops actively welcome the use of guarantors, but many promise to permanent customers a dispute resolution in their favor even without involving a third party.

Dealers have deposits that reach several million rubles. A deposit is needed if the seller is deceiving a large number of buyers. If the seller threw customers, the money will be divided between the victims.

Reviews of other customers are important. Before buying, you can read about the quality of the drug, the good faith of the seller and the accuracy of the bookmarks. Some stores ask not to leave negative reviews in the event of a lack of weight or a torn bag, but first try to solve everything amicably.

From nuclear to administrator

Patrik is the owner of one of the largest stores on RAMP. His deposit is several million rubles. In the instant store, the number of transactions performed exceeds 10 thousand (more transactions are not displayed - approx. Auth.). The rating is approaching 5 out of 5 possible. Most of his team members live abroad.

Patrik is the fake name of the dealer. The name of the store and nickname the interlocutor Moloko Plus asked not to indicate. He agreed in advance that he would not clarify the details of the biography.

He agreed to communicate with the help of a one -time message service - you can read his answers to questions from a special link only once. At the second opening, the message is destroyed.

“I am the same as most people around me, no one knows what I am doing. <...> Here is a restriction - not to tell anyone what you do. My personal life is not different from the life of an average office worker. House, work, society. <...> I strive for life, emotions, communication, knowledge, new. Although I understand that I put my life under the threat and that everything that I would have without doing this would seem to me in deprivation <...> how long I can do this - I don’t know, I myself ask this question, ”Patrik argues.

He refused to answer questions about the financial side of the store, methods of protection against power structures and contacts with them, as well as about cyber protection mechanisms.

“There can be a lot of variations [store structure]. From the store in which the staff is one person who performs the work of the nuclear, operator, moderator, etc., to a complex structure with a large number of staff, ”says Patrik.

Based on what they write on RAMP, you can describe the approximate structure of the drug sale point. A large store consists of dozens of people. The lion's fraction of the staff is made up of layers or nuclear stems, who are invited to work directly on the branches of the forum. Behind them are wholesale couriers, which are looking for small shops. Couriers-optical workers work with large batches or make laying a large number of drugs for retail nuclear nuclearines.

Operators accept orders, transfer them to masonry and solve the emerging problems with customers. Some dealers have full-time chemists synthesizing drugs in their own laboratories, as well as groves growing marijuana in a garage or a rented room. Messages about hiring chemists and grovers to work at times appear on RAMP. The store administrator is led by everyone.

The highest echelon is probably in contact with drug manufacturers or larger suppliers. The structure is similar to a classic drug cartel with the adjustment that the RAMP does not go to the armed struggle for the redistribution of the territory.

“There was not enough weapons [yet], since it was more and more civilized than that of [Latin American] groups. <...> There is more honest relationships and assistance, within the rational. <...> dealers communicate with each other, warn, share news and so on. There is more friendly relations. This is all in relation to the old -timers, newcomers here are not particularly fond of obvious reasons, ”says Patrik.

Patrik refused to call the list of posts and salaries of his subordinates in the store. When asked how many drugs passes through his store and what total revenue his “enterprise” has, the dealer replied evasively, saying that the turnover of drug trafficking in Russia in the darknet is from 0.5 to 1 ton of drugs per month excluding “design drugs”. According to Patrik, which refers to personal observations, the turnover of funds in the market ranges from 300 to 500 million rubles per month.

“Previously, up to the age of the Internet, people took substances somewhere. Now it has become more convenient to do. The final client is in a large plus: the dealer slipped poor quality, made a lack of view, etc. - All this can be trumpeted into the community, administration. Thus, self -regulation occurs. <...> From Alco, it perishes many times more, and if also to take into account statistics on cigarettes? A person has a head on his shoulders, and if he does not know how to use it, then this, excuse me, is a natural selection. An important remark is that no one will give poison in explicitly (I'm about the administration), ”writes Patrik in response to the question of whether he feels guilty and responsibility for selling drugs to people.

Training with subsequent employment

“Start working with confidence in tomorrow,” one of the many announcements about the search for staff for drug stores said. RAMP always requires drug layers in a particular region of Russia. Less dealers are looking for a warehouse, wholesalers, chemists and grovers at the forum of the warehouse managers. Large dealers gain people only to lower positions, and whether it is possible to grow to, for example, operators or wholesalers, it is not clear.

“Everywhere there are very sensible people. Someone starts with the putman and then comes to the idea and the implementation of the opening of his store, ”writes Patrik.

The possibilities of career growth are said in the announcement of another large store. The layman can become a faculty, wholesale courier - grow to the operator. Jobs promise good money to applicants and a dangerous, but not hard work.

The announcements often appear the question of whether the job seeker has the experience of working in this area and criminal record. It is desirable: a personal car, the ability to use GPS to specify the coordinates, but the most important thing is the lack of drug addiction. Another condition of employment by the nuclear is a bail that varies from 10 to 100 thousand rubles. The amount of the pledge for the wholesale noden reaches several hundred thousand rubles - the reinsurance in case the layman decides to throw the dealer.

How much operators, chemists and grovers get, is unknown. Salaries vary based on the results of the interviews.

More or less reliably one can only judge the salaries of the mortgages. In some stores, they promise from 450 to 2000 rubles for one bookmark. In the largest store, which, apparently, is engaged in wholesale the sale of drugs, it is said that the retail petroleum receives from 50 to 150 thousand rubles a week, making each treasure from 25 to 50 grams of drugs at a time - which is quite a lot. The wholesale heater for the same period can receive from 150 thousand rubles and above. Он делает закладки от 50 грамм.

При трудоустройстве кладменом необходимо указать семейное положение, сообщить, с кем человек живет, а для крупных городов — еще и указать район проживания. Предполагается, что эти данные останутся у администрации.

Patrik отказался отвечать, как проверяют новых людей. Сотрудникам магазинов «нужна голова на плечах, о человеке все становится очевидным, чаще всего, после первой переписки», — говорит дилер.

«Нет нормальной работы, нет нормальных окладов. <...> Реже причиной такого выбора становится неординарное мировоззрение, кому-то нравится азарт, кто-то против системы и т.д.», — пишет Patrik о мотивации людей, пробующих себя в наркобизнесе.

Желающих устроиться закладчиками так много, что на RAMP открыли нечто вроде учебного центра. Курс рассчитан на 10-14 дней, за которые новичок научится безопасно и грамотно делать закладки в подходящих местах. Обучение бесплатное, но необходимо внести залог в 15 тысяч рублей. Выпускникам обещают трудоустройство.

Силовики против RAMP

Лесопарк на востоке Москвы. Мужчина в желтой куртке с небольшой залысиной и дневной щетиной мнется недалеко от белого Renault. На заднем стекле надпись «Пробная поездка». Рука мужчины прикована наручниками к руке полицейского.

— С какой целью вы находитесь в городе Москве? — спрашивает его строгий голос.

— Ну... Ээээ... — мнется задержанный.

— Вы для чего приехали сюда? Работать или к родственникам? — подсказывает женский голос.

— За наркотическим средствами, — выдыхает задержанный.

— И много вы должны были забрать? — уточняет строгий голос.

— Килограмм...

Герой оперативной съемки полицейских «На востоке Москвы поймали распространителя амфитамина» (орфография сохранена — прим. ред.) уволился с обычной работы в Брянске и решил попробовать себя в наркобизнесе. Задача простая: съездить в Москву, забрать закладку, перезаложить в родном городе. За работу, которая делается за день-два, ему обещали 50 тысяч рублей. Первый рейс прошел без особых проблем. Забрав кило амфетамина, он получил обещанные деньги.

Через несколько недель, взяв напрокат Renault, курьер снова поехал в лес на восток Москвы. Машину остановили оперативники. Из-под бардачка они вытащили большой черный пакет с амфетамином.

Мужчина переминается с ноги на ногу и показывает место первой закладки — в лесу под истлевшей корягой, поросшей зеленым мхом и присыпанной жухлыми листьями. Курьер ничего не знает о дилере. Указания ему давали через анонимный мессенджер.

В телефоне у курьера координаты закладки, фотографии места и переписка с неизвестным руководством, которое завербовало его с помощью спам-рассылки sms с предложениями легких денег. На вопросы, знает ли он людей, с которыми общался, задержанный отвечает: «Наверное, их вообще никто не знает».

Между сотрудниками магазинов даркнета табуировано обсуждение деталей биографии, поэтому поиск сотрудников через RAMP отлично сочетается с концепцией полной анонимности площадки. В теории никто не может никого сдать. При аресте кладмен сможет лишь назвать магазин, на который работал.

Patrik не говорит, сажали ли кого-либо из сотрудников его магазина. Он допускает, что арестованные или посаженные члены команды могли нанести какой-либо ущерб бизнесу: «Как и везде, утопает один — тянет за собой [других]». Магазины иногда оказывают помощь своим сотрудникам, оказавшимся в неволе.

«Все зависит от людей. Если руководство наделено сердцем, готово сострадать, то, уверен, оно помогает», — пишет Patrik.

Отвечая на вопрос, может ли сотрудник магазина, отсидев, вернуться на работу к тому же дилеру, Patrik пишет: «Все может быть».

За все время работы RAMP российские силовые ведомства не рапортовали о поимке руководителей интернет-магазина наркотиков. В 2014 году в МВД попытались деанонимизировать пользователей Tor, что могло поставить под удар наркобизнес в даркнете. Тендер почти на 4 миллиона выиграл Центральный научно-исследовательский институт экономики, информатики и систем управления. Спустя год институт отказался от контракта, причина не разглашалась.

Летом 2016 года анонимностью в сети озаботился глава ФСБ Александр Бортников. По мнению директора службы, сервисы для анонимного общения в сети могут использовать террористы. Какие шаги, кроме громких заявлений об опасности Tor, предпринимают в связи с этим в ФСБ — неизвестно.

Patrik говорит, что если RAMP вдруг закроют, как уже было с крупнейшим англоязычным сервисом по продаже запрещенных товаров Silk Road, ликвидированным ФБР, то «никто так просто не захочет распрощаться со своим детищем».

«Для кого-то [это] дело всей жизни, которое уже помогло заработать на всю жизнь. <...> Потому, думаю, RAMP простоит еще очень долго. Но дилеры должны оценивать все риски. <...> [Рынок наркотиков в даркнете] будет расширяться, не могу ничего сказать по поводу темпов роста. На данный момент, мне кажется, о Tor, RAMP знает очень маленькая часть пользователей интернета в РФ. Даже те, кто и слышал, еще ни разу не пользовались. Думаю, этот вопрос — дело времени. Как мне кажется, чем больше запретов будет сделано нашим государством (блокировки сайтов в частности), тем быстрее люди начнут знакомиться с ТОРом и его ресурсами, что будет бустером для роста ТОР-аудитории в РФ», — пишет Patrik.

Patrik критикует работу силовиков, которые вынуждают людей участвовать в подставных контрольных закупках. Работает это так: на человека давят органы, и в итоге он просит кого-либо из своих знакомых — будущего подозреваемого — купить для него наркотик. Покупателя ловят, оформляют задержание как сбыт. Правоохранительные органы получают «галочку» в отчетности, а незадачливый задержанный — тюремный срок. Рассуждая о подобных методах, дилер задается риторическим вопросом: «Куда катится наша страна и подобные ей?» Он считает, что декриминализация наркотиков — «дело времени, пусть и длительного для нашей страны».

Помните, наркотики опасны для здоровья, а их хранение, производство и распространение в России запрещено законом.