An investigation by Maldita.es has identified 504 TikTok accounts promoting the sale of tusi —a drug commonly known as “pink cocaine”—, its ingredients or instructions on how to produce it. Altogether, these accounts have nearly 290,000 followers, while videos related to the substance have accumulated more than 23.7 million views.
The analysis identified 395 videos explicitly showing tusi or content related to its production. Most of the accounts detected were operating from Peru (45%), Colombia (32.7%) and Spain (6.3%).
The investigation also shows how sellers use TikTok direct messages and applications such as WhatsApp Business and Telegram to contact potential buyers. They also rely on codes, alternative spellings, emojis, memes and references to popular culture to promote their products and attempt to circumvent the platform’s moderation systems.
Maldita.es also highlights the role played by TikTok’s recommendation system. During the investigation, content displayed on the “For You” feed and suggestions generated by the platform led researchers to new accounts, search terms and content related to the sale of tusi and other drugs.
The organisation reported more than one hundred accounts displaying, selling or producing drugs to TikTok. According to the investigation, the platform removed 15 specific videos reported as illegal content in the European Union, while the accounts that had published them remained active.
Maldita.es is a founding member of the IBERIFIER project.
