The Colombian Government released a report on Monday stating their discovery of over 40 online sites where illegal drugs are bought and sold.
Deputy Minister of Justice of Colombia, Miguel Samper, warned today about the existence of more than 40 websites with “little to no regulation,” leading to a variety of drugs being bought and sold before being delivered to homes across Colombia.
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Samper warned that “The way to commit crimes is constantly changing and modernizing…Colombia must continue modernize its legal framework to combat it.”
The sites use the same systems as those which permit uses to illegally download music and films and as all transactions are completed online it is hard to determine who is culpable for the crime.
The statement was given at a conference organised by the Organization of American States (OAS) which was focused on the need to combat cyber crime in Colombia.
MORE: Colombia to receive cyber-security assistance from ‘international experts’
The deputy minister added that the Ministry of Justice has already successfully blocked four such pages but stated that the reality was a lack of available police time to search for such sites. Additionally, as the pages are located outside of Colombia there is question as to who has jurisdiction to deal with those running the sites.
Colombia, one of the world’s top producers of coca, has been one of the hardest-hit by drug trafficking. The country’s production of coca and trafficking of cocaine has fueled an armed conflict that has left hundreds of thousands dead since the 1940s.
As of yet no concrete plan of action has been announced to combat the problem.
Sources
- Gobierno alerta de 40 páginas web en las que se venden drogas (El Espectador)
- 40 páginas web en las que se venden drogas en Colombia (Caracol Radio)
- Gobierno alerta de páginas web en las que se venden drogas (El Nuevo Heraldo)
