Dark Web Ecstasy Buyer Avoids Prison
An Oxford man received a two-year suspended sentence for purchasing ecstasy through the dark web and having it shipped to the UK from the Netherlands.
According to media reports, the sentencing of 22-year-old Harry Sullivan resulted from the interception of two drug packages addressed to his residence in early 2021.
The Border Force intercepted the first suspicious package sent to Sullivan from the Netherlands on February 15, 2021. The officers found and seized 250 ecstasy tabs from the package.
Two weeks later, on March 3, the officers seized another parcel addressed to the defendant. On opening it, they found that it contained 59 grams of MDMA powder.
The cops arrested him on March 12 and seized his phone and laptop. On July 4, 2023, at the Oxford Magistrates’ Court, Sullivan pleaded guilty to two counts of importing class A drugs.
He received a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years. In addition to the suspended sentence, Sullivan was ordered to pay a fine of £425 and serve 46 days of rehabilitation activity requirement.
Sullivan's sentencing came after the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) announced that it had sent warning letters to suspected dark web drug buyers. The ERSOU sent the letters to hundreds of addresses across the UK, suspected of being recipients of drug packages.
Over the last 18 months, investigators from ERSOU’s Dark web Intelligence, Collection and Exploitation (DICE) team, reportedly arrested several suspects after intercepting and seizing illicit substances worth more than £500,000. The investigators believe dark web vendors had mailed the substances they seized.
Ecstasy pills
According to media reports, the sentencing of 22-year-old Harry Sullivan resulted from the interception of two drug packages addressed to his residence in early 2021.
The Border Force intercepted the first suspicious package sent to Sullivan from the Netherlands on February 15, 2021. The officers found and seized 250 ecstasy tabs from the package.
Two weeks later, on March 3, the officers seized another parcel addressed to the defendant. On opening it, they found that it contained 59 grams of MDMA powder.
The cops arrested him on March 12 and seized his phone and laptop. On July 4, 2023, at the Oxford Magistrates’ Court, Sullivan pleaded guilty to two counts of importing class A drugs.
He received a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years. In addition to the suspended sentence, Sullivan was ordered to pay a fine of £425 and serve 46 days of rehabilitation activity requirement.
Sullivan's sentencing came after the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) announced that it had sent warning letters to suspected dark web drug buyers. The ERSOU sent the letters to hundreds of addresses across the UK, suspected of being recipients of drug packages.
Quote:Detective Inspector Graham Paul
The implications of taking substances purchased from the dark web could be significant – ‘prescription’ medicine found online is often of poor quality and may not contain the ingredients normally found in legitimate medication, which clearly presents a very real health risk. I would also add that the dark web is not as anonymous as people think and those that use it for illicit activity could find themselves part of one of our investigations.
Over the last 18 months, investigators from ERSOU’s Dark web Intelligence, Collection and Exploitation (DICE) team, reportedly arrested several suspects after intercepting and seizing illicit substances worth more than £500,000. The investigators believe dark web vendors had mailed the substances they seized.
