One of the main reasons for the increase in the number of cases is that narcotics are available worldwide via the internet. The trade in narcotics on the Internet is becoming an increasingly large area of drug-related crime.

The simple, fast and anonymous nature of the sale extends not only to narcotics, but also to other prohibited goods, such as weapons, false documents or child pornography.

Sellers of narcotics on the internet, also known as vendors, offer their products via marketplaces or their own online stores. The large number of marketplaces and stores guarantees a consistently wide range of products. Narcotics are usually shipped via postal service providers using conventional letters or parcels. It is therefore the visible consequence of the increasing online trade in narcotics.

In order to conceal their identity, the perpetrators use sender addresses of seemingly randomly selected companies or private individuals.

Neutral packaging gives the mail item an inconspicuous appearance that does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about the dangerous contents. Only the sender and the recipient are aware of the potential danger of the substances contained in these mail items.

All persons involved in sending mail are exposed to permanent risks to life and health by handling substances, some of which are highly toxic, in an unsuspected and unprotected manner.
These mail items cannot always be delivered. They are returned to the sender. This means that any person or company whose address has been misused as the sender can inadvertently become the recipient of a return shipment containing narcotics.