Some of the drug marketplaces on the dark web operating in the U.K. have voluntarily banned the sale of fentanyl, the nation's National Crime Agency told The Guardian.
By "delisting" the opioid, these marketplaces have deemed it among the commodities considered too high-risk to trade, which include items like mass-casualty firearms and explosives. Selling fentanyl, which can be up to 10 times stronger than heroin, could prompt overdoses that would attract unwanted police attention to the dark web sources, NCA Lead Investigator Vince O'Brien told the publication.
"There are marketplaces that will not accept listings for weapons and explosives — those are the ones that will not accept listings for fentanyl … There are also drug users on the dark web who say on forums that they don't think it's right that people are selling fentanyl because it is dangerous and kills a lot of people," Mr. O'Brien said.
This marks the first known time that dark web operators have attempted to ban the sale of a drug.