Across cities and towns in Russia, countless drug parcels lie hidden under window ledges, attached magnetically to street signs, or buried underground, awaiting their buyers. This practice marks a shift from traditional hand-to-hand exchanges, with local kladmen (stash carriers) hiding packages and sharing locations once payments are confirmed online. Known widely among young Russians, this system even has an instructional guide, the “Kladman’s Bible,” which advises couriers on concealment tactics, like camouflaging footprints in snow to avoid detection by police or drug-seeking thieves.
But Russia’s burgeoning drug industry isn’t just about stealthy drop-offs. A new breed of crime networks, leveraging high-tech strategies, thrives amid Russia’s stringent drug laws. Fronted by elaborate websites, cinematic advertisements, and brazen public displays, these networks now control drug sales and logistics, reaching even into Ukraine and countries like Georgia and South Korea.
At the lower levels, underpaid young couriers, or kladmen, bear the brunt of the trade’s brutal realities. While some face jail or even deployment to Ukraine, others with poor performance reviews face violent punishment recorded and shared on Telegram. These punishments range from severe beatings to, in extreme cases, physical mutilation or murder, highlighting the harsh underworld within Russia’s darknet drug trade.
Central to this trade is mephedrone, commonly referred to in Russia as “salt,” a stimulant produced locally using Chinese-sourced chemicals. This strategy enables easier domestic production in the world’s largest country, where foreign imports of drugs like cocaine, MDMA, and heroin come with high logistical risks.
Darknet platforms such as Mega and Kraken facilitate the sale, distribution, and even provide resources to expand production—fostering a network of underground chemists across Russia. Platforms like these aren’t merely digital marketplaces but serve as complex criminal ecosystems influencing drug trends domestically and internationally.
