Police and crime experts have expressed concern over a growing number of tech-savvy young people using darknet websites to import illegal drugs into the ACT.
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The trend has also spawned a game of "cat and mouse" as law enforcement agencies seek to outsmart criminals trying new methods to sneak illicit substances through the postal service.
ACT Drug and Organised Crime team leader Shane Scott said police had seen an increase in the number of people who bought drugs from sinister online sites in recent years, possibly because they believed it was an "easy" option.
"We see younger people using that method because they're more comfortable with the technology.
"People think they can remain anonymous and they think, 'I don't need to go out and meet someone I don't know in a dark laneway, I can order it direct to me'."
He warned there were many dangers with buying drugs online, and there had been incidents where buyers had been sent bath salts and window cleaning fluid instead.
"At the end of the day, unless you're a forensic chemist, you never know exactly what you're going to get, especially if you're trying a new drug."
He said the US Government's attempt last year to shut down the controversial Silk Road website - a popular online marketplace for illicit drugs - had done little to hamper the growing industry.
"There are a number of online forums and marketplaces on the darknet web, like O-Router, where people can buy illicit drugs," detective sergeant Scott said.
The darknet, or "deep web" refers to a secretive network of websites hidden from the regular internet.
Dr Susan Goldsmid from the Australian Institute of Criminology said it was impossible to comment on the number of people buying illicit drugs online, or the size of the market, because it was "an unknown".
But she said users seemed unlikely to purchase illicit drugs online if they had access to physical drug market connections and networks.
Dr Goldsmid warned people who bought drugs online faced the same risks of physical and mental health problems, overdose and police apprehension.
"In some cases, users who purchase drugs online may face tougher criminal offences, including charges relating to the importation of an illicit drug."
Most online black markets specialised in certain types of drugs and traded in bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.
The Australian Crime Commission this month announced a crackdown on organised crime groups who used virtual currencies to access illicit drugs, as well as child exploitation material, illegal firearms and stolen credit card and identity data.
The commission's strategy executive director Judy Lind said:
"Virtual currencies can be used anonymously and provide a layer of anonymity in addition to that provided by the darknet."
Detective sergeant Scott said illegal importers would typically have their purchases shipped to a post office box, vacant address or another person's home.
"They'll adapt it depending on how law enforcement is responding.
"It's a bit cat-and-mouse."
The warnings come after two Canberra men pleaded not guilty to allegations they helped import $20,000 worth of cocaine in the ACT Magistrates Court last month.
Court documents showed police intercepted phone conversations between Todd Alexander Bassingthwaighte, 23, and Paul James McCauley, 22, and a third man arranging the importation of the drugs, which were posted from Ecuador to
A police informant told the court the arrests were the first in an ongoing investigation into large-scale drug importation, with further arrests planned.
Another Canberra man, 25-year-old Emin Yavuz, awaits trial after pleading not guilty to charges of importing MDMA and cocaine into the ACT using false identities and a series of post office boxes.
Yavuz was also accused in court of schooling another ACT man, Peter Edward Poulakis, 25, to import drugs to Canberra hotels.
Detective sergeant Scott said there had been "discussions" over whether Australia Post's 24/7 locker boxes, which enabled users to register online and collect parcels around the clock, could make it easier for users to import drugs.
An Australia Post spokeswoman said the service cooperated with Customs and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, who were responsible for screening imported packages.
