New jeans: drug dealers began to use fake news for their advertising
Drug dealers massively accelerated attempts to promote their illegal business in legal media and Telegram channels. To do this, they spread fake news about allegedly illegal advertising on various online trading platforms. Currently, there are more than 2 thousand publications on the Network, telling, for example, about the logos of stores and drug sites that unite them, which were allegedly found by vigilant users on the soles of sneakers. Photos of customer reviews showing shoes in all their glory are actively shown in videos that are distributed on the Internet. About how such fakes are created and what kind of punishment they face is in the Izvestia article.
What fake news are drug dealers spreading?
From the end of 2024 to the beginning of 2025, more than 2 thousand posts were published on social networks and messengers about allegedly accidentally found symbols of drug shops on legal online trading platforms, on social networks and Telegram channels. About 7 thousand users commented on them, Izvestia calculated. But all this news is fake. They were planted by drug sites, trying to get into the legal media and advertise themselves.
The last high-profile action took place in January of this year. A video has been distributed on dozens of Telegram channels, which shows screenshots with reviews under the product on one of the largest marketplaces in Russia. The buyers stated that they allegedly found a printed drug site logo on the sole of the shoe, which left corresponding footprints in the snow. Due to the popularity and low cost of the model (less than 3 thousand rubles), the author of the video suggested that thousands of Russians could become "walking advertisements."
At the request of Izvestia, the marketplace conducted an internal investigation. According to the company's representatives, the reviews of dissatisfied users were added to the videos using Photoshop.
— Our inspection revealed the fact of using image processing tools: some of the product reviews are fabricated. In fact, the customer reviews left on the product card have a completely different content," the press service said.
The company noted that they regularly conduct internal monitoring of the showcase. A special algorithm allows you to identify a prohibited item based on the description and photos of product cards and block it immediately. Therefore, it is impossible to hold an advertising campaign on the site.
A similar action took place at the end of 2024 in one of the social networks. Then the drug site's logo was photoshopped onto items for babies. The finished photos were regularly uploaded to a group where users offer to give away unwanted items for free. The fake spread across messengers: more than 40 channels published posts discussing advertising, and dissatisfied users left hundreds of comments.
Sometimes dealers place fake ads right on the streets and then post their photos online. In 2024, the police opened a criminal case against a couple from St. Petersburg for inducing drug use (Article 230 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and attempted drug trafficking (228.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
According to the case file, they offered to purchase illegal substances with the help of a concert poster. At the request of dealers, the suspects placed a QR code with the address of the drug site on a banner advertising Kanye West's performance in Russia, which in fact did not happen and was not planned. The poster stated that this code allegedly leads to the website of the sponsors of the event.
"During the search in the apartment of the detainees, the operatives found numerous copies of promotional products, as well as scales with remnants of narcotic drugs of plant origin, which were sent for examination," the Interior Ministry said.
However, the most discussed (more than 3,000 comments) was a video in which two young men in clothes with the name of the site distribute chicken eggs to pensioners for free. The video not only spread online, but also briefly leaked to the Telegram channel of the Obninsk news portal.
Why fake news is being created
The main goal of drug traffickers is to get into the legal media: videos with fake ads spread on the Internet and attract additional attention to their product, a source from the largest darknet advertising agency told Izvestia.
— Channels in social networks that are dedicated to darknet topics take everyone for advertising, but "white" resources are extremely rare. All sellers of substances want to get into them in order to attract new customers. Previously, everyone was trying to get into online publications, but over time they decided to focus on Telegram," he said.
Currently, the PR scheme is arranged as follows: photoshop applies to darknet advertising agencies and gives a technical task - for example, the desired audience reach. Then the most popular resource is selected, which contains fabricated photos with the drug squad logo, or written reviews are left, said another source of Izvestia from the darknet.
— Screenshots are sent via white Telegram channels with a large number of subscribers, at least 10 thousand people. In addition to them, a user's comment is published in the post, allegedly outraged by the open drug trade. The channel administration is less wary of such publications. The news is picked up by smaller resources, providing wide coverage," the source said.
The prices for such PR are about 100 thousand rubles, Izvestia found out after studying offers from shadow PR agencies. At the same time, judging by the number of reviews from drug site customers, they earn millions every month, including from new users.
Such actions have gained popularity in the drug industry because of their low cost, Internet analyst Maxim Gorbunov agrees.
— By spending little money, the site attracts an audience through the interest of ordinary people. It creates the illusion that drug traffickers are a force to be reckoned with. People are starting to wonder who can bribe a large marketplace and sell products with their own sign there. Then they start searching for information on the Internet. Such "glory" needs to be constantly maintained, hence the frequent actions," the expert added.
Who will be punished for such advertising
In Russia, drug propaganda carries an administrative penalty provided for in Article 6.13 of the Administrative Code. The maximum fine for such actions is 1.5 million rubles.
In addition, in August 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law banning drug propaganda in the media and on the Internet, as well as on the conditions for mentioning them in literature and cinema. It assumes administrative responsibility and will enter into force on September 1, 2025.
At the same time, according to lawyer Mikhail Reprintsev, administrative measures do not always frighten criminals.
— Marketplace owners operate through proxy server systems that guarantee anonymity, and it is extremely difficult to figure them out. As for ordinary citizens who act by their decree, the fine does not seem to be a serious enough obstacle for them to give up easy money," the expert said. — In some cases, it is possible to initiate criminal proceedings, for example, for drug addiction, but this happens extremely rarely. Marketplaces may also be administratively liable under this article, but their guilt still needs to be proven.
According to statistics provided by the lawyer, in 2022, 977 violations were identified under 6.13 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation. The average fine was about 7,000 rubles. In 2023, it remained unchanged, although the number of offenses increased to 1,403.
"The data indicate a very low percentage of people involved in illegal drug advertising, with a clear upward trend in such acts," he noted.
Roman Demchenko, a lawyer at the European Legal Service, also believes that drug dealers, individuals who received the product for advertising by publishing its photos in reviews, and shadow marketers face responsibility. Liability is also not excluded for legal marketplaces, since the offense provided for in part 1.1 of Article 6.13 of the Administrative Code is characterized by an intentional or negligent form of guilt.
But so far, there is not enough law enforcement practice in such cases to draw conclusions about it, all the lawyers interviewed by the editorial board said.
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