Why crypto makes drug investigations easier, not harder
Investigators who want to dismantle entire drug trafficking networks know it won’t happen by catching a few dealers with narcotics in a car. High-level drug dealers rarely handle drugs directly; they insulate themselves from the physical product. What they do control is the financial infrastructure that sustains the entire operation.
Taking down these networks requires examining that financial infrastructure: How do the criminals pay their suppliers? How do they compensate smugglers and distributors? Where do the proceeds flow? Mapping these financial relationships becomes essential for targeting the individuals who matter most.
Increasingly, this financial infrastructure includes cryptocurrency. Modern criminal networks often use…
