\u201cWhatsApp has one central advantage:it is widespread and part of everyday life<\/strong>, especially in Spain and Latin America,\u201d explains<\/a> David Montero, coordinator of the Master\u2019s Degree in Cybercrime at the International University of La Rioja. \u201cThat familiarity reduces friction,\u201d he adds. According to2026 data<\/a>from Spain\u2019s National Commission on Markets and Competition, 94.6% of users in Spain regularly use WhatsApp. In Latin America, it is also the dominant messaging application, according to a2026 Infobip report<\/a>.<\/p>\n Once on WhatsApp, we observed that users mainly interacted with those who contacted them in two ways:through one-to-one chats or through groups with hundreds of participants<\/strong>. Among the profiles operating through individual chats, we found thattwo were configured as WhatsApp Business accounts<\/strong>: a version designed,according to Meta<\/a>, to \u201cfacilitate interactions with customers by offering tools to automate, organise and quickly respond to the communications you receive\u201d.<\/p>\n One of these users, who described themselves as \u201ca women\u2019s clothing shop\u201d, was available at all hours every day of the week (according to the information displayed on their profile), and theirmessages were configured to disappear 24 hours after being sent.<\/strong>When we contacted them, they did not offer clothing: \u201cHey, we\u2019re active + \ud83c\udf53. How many g [grams] do you want?<\/strong>\u201d (sic). The message included a price list ranging from one gram of tusi for 35 Peruvian soles (around \u20ac9) to five grams for 125 soles (around \u20ac32), together with a video showing several bags of pink and light-blue powder.<\/p>\n The other profile encouraged us to \u201ccheck out their catalogue\u201d,aWhatsApp Business featurewhich \u201cworks like a mobile shop for your business\u201d. Through it we could add products to a cart, as if shopping in a supermarket: one gram of tusi for 70 soles (\u20ac18), as well as other drugs such as LSD and \u201chappy pills\u201d. When we asked about delivery methods, they stopped responding<\/p>\n Another account, which was not configured as a business profile, replied with a sticker showingnumerous bags of tusi and two Pink Panther videos<\/a>. One of them displayed, over an image of the cartoon character, a price list beginning withone gram for 100 Venezuelan bolivars (just over \u20ac7)<\/strong>and going up to one kilogram for 1,000 bolivars (\u20ac74). The other piece of content advertised a \u201ccook\u2019s kit\u201d containing ketamine, \u201ctwo pills\u201d, \u201can essence\u201d and 40 ziplock bags for approximately \u20ac55.<\/p>\n On WhatsApp, we also foundgroups being used to sell tusi<\/strong>. One of them, with 578 members whosephone prefixes came from different Latin American countries<\/strong>, had messages configured to disappear after 90 days andallowed only administrators with Peruvian phone prefixes to post messages<\/strong>. David Montero explains that this is \u201cuseful for controlling the message, avoiding noise, preventing uncomfortable questions andmaintaining an asymmetrical relationship with potential buyers<\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\n Once we had been accepted into the group, we were sent a series ofPDF documents titled \u2018Basic Tusi Cooking\u2019 and \u2018Pablito Astral Recipe\u2019<\/strong>, containing instructions and lists of ingredients for preparing this drug at home. We also received another document called \u2018Astral Cook\u2019s Kit\u2019, advertising different drug \u201cpacks\u201d, including ketamine, LSD andpoppers<\/a>, together with their prices in soles, dollars and euros. \u201cIf you are abroad, via DHL or FedEx,\u201d<\/strong>the document stated. \u201cAny purchase is handled privately with me, people\u201d (sic), one of the administrators wrote in the chat.<\/p>\n Maldita.es<\/em><\/a>contacted Meta, WhatsApp\u2019s parent company, to ask what measures it has in place to prevent its platform from being used for the buying and selling of drugs. The company referred us to itsWhatsApp Messaging Guidelines<\/strong><\/a>page, where it states that it prohibits, among other things, organising or coordinating the\u201ctrafficking of illegal drugs\u201d<\/strong>. When violations are identified, the company states on its website that it may\u201ctemporarily or permanently suspend an account\u201d<\/strong>,\u201cremove information about offending accounts\u201d<\/strong>and\u201cprevent or block the use of invitation links\u201d<\/strong>, among other measures.<\/p>\n AtMaldita.es<\/em><\/a>we have previously warned about the use of Telegram for various criminal activities, including theexchange and sale of child sexual abuse material. \u201cTelegram offers other advantages: large channels, groups, searchability, aliases, less need to expose a phone number in certain contexts, bots, anda perception \u2014 sometimes exaggerated \u2014 of anonymity or impunity<\/strong>,\u201d explains cybercrime specialist David Montero.<\/p>\n Onlytwo of the 13 profiles we spoke to redirected interested users directly to Telegram<\/strong>: both did so by linking to their channels in their TikTok bios. One of these channels, with 200 subscribers, does not allow screenshots of its chat content, a feature provided by Telegram and not by other platforms. The first video sent through the channel showed a hooded man alongside the message: \u201c100% reliable RECIPE, FOR ALL COUNTRIES. PDFS + COMPLETE 30:04-MINUTE VIDEO<\/strong>\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf7 \ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf2 \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\udde8 \ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddea \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddfd\u201d (sic). The channel also had apinned message directing users to another \u201creferences\u201d channel<\/strong>where supposed testimonials from customers \u201csatisfied\u201d with their purchases were posted.\u00a0<\/p>\n When we contacted the user via direct message, they told us that the tusi recipe also included \u201ceasy access to the supplies (that is, the drugs needed to make it) + a support video call\u201d for a price of \u20ac85. To obtain the drugs required for the preparation process, they assured us thatthey could put us in touch with someone in Spain<\/strong>who could help us acquire them through \u201ccash on delivery\u201d, meaning that payment would be made directly when the package arrived at our home.<\/p>\n Another Telegram channel had only 3 subscribers when we joined (however, as of 26 August 2026, that number had risen to 41). There, the administrator posted a photograph of a ceramic plate containing light-blue powder alongside a message stating: \u201cWe\u2019re active, my people \ud83c\udf47.We have promotions every day\u201d<\/strong>(sic). In subsequent messages, they stated thatthey also had \u201cmarijuana and cocaine\u201d<\/strong>and that they accepted \u201corders by private message\u201d. In a conversation withMaldita.es<\/em><\/a>, Telegram stated that \u201cthepromotion and sale of illicit substances are explicitly prohibited<\/strong>under Telegram\u2019s Terms of Service, and such content is removed as soon as it is identified.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether on Telegram or WhatsApp, cybercrime expert Javier Sanz points out that these activitiestend to end up on<\/strong>encrypted platforms<\/strong>because \u201cthey move the transaction to a surface where the gatekeeper cannot see the content:TikTok provides visible reach, while WhatsApp and Telegram provide invisible closure<\/strong>\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n Experts warn that this makes criminal investigations more difficult becausethe chain of evidence becomes fragmented. \u201cThe operation does not take place in a single space: one part is public or semi-public on TikTok, another occurs through private messages, another on WhatsApp or Telegram, and another, perhaps, offline,\u201d says Montero<\/p>\n Not all the users we spoke to attempted to move us away from TikTok to communicate through a platform such as WhatsApp or Telegram.Five of them<\/strong>, who did not provide alternative contact channels in their biographies or simply wrote \u201cmessage me\u201d,kept their conversations within the platform\u2019s direct messaging system<\/strong>. Why? \u201cThese may beless sophisticated profiles, more impulsive, or individuals with a lower perception of risk<\/strong>,\u201d explains Montero. According to the expert, other possible explanations are that they may feel protected by the sheer volume of activity on the platform or that they may be \u201copportunistic sellers, scammers or low-level intermediaries rather than complex criminal structures\u201d.<\/p>\n From promises that they could send products to us by car or by \u201cpost\u201d, to offers to sell us \u201cblue or green soloket keta for 200\u201d, these profiles quickly moved towards completing a transaction.Three of them were located in Spain,<\/strong>according to the information available on their TikTok accounts. One assured us that if we bought more \u201cstuff\u201d, the price could be reduced. Another sent us their price list directly: \u201cKt [ketamine] 5, micro [LSD] 5, pills [MDMA] 3.5\u201d. \u201cFor anything else, tell me what you\u2019re looking for and I\u2019ll give you a price\u201d (sic).<\/p>\n One of the users we spoke to directly through TikTokgave us a recipe for preparing tusi at home<\/strong>in exchange for following them on the platform. In one of the WhatsApp groups, we received two documents containingstep-by-step instructions for doing the same<\/strong>immediately after joining, without even requesting them. This is not an isolated phenomenon: throughout our investigation,we found 59 profiles promising to give away their recipes<\/strong>for preparing this drug.<\/p>\n For David Montero, thisamounts to a kind of \u201cinformal franchise model\u201d<\/strong>: \u201cThe seller does not limit themselves to distribution, but instead attempts to create new small-scale distributors, recruit intermediaries andexpand their network<\/strong>.\u201d According to the expert, this allows them to monetise tutorials, support services or ingredients, reduce their own direct exposure and generate dependency. \u201cBy presenting it as a tutorial or training, the barrier to entry is lowered: someone who may previously have had no contact with trafficking networkscan come to perceive that learning, producing or selling is easy<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe right question is not \u2018why do they give it away?\u2019 but rather \u2018what do they buy with that gift?\u2019\u201d says Javier Sanz. For him,it represents an investment<\/strong>: \u201cIf we look at it on a larger scale, this makes even more sense: those who sell MDMA and ketamine give away recipes for free, so anyone can set up a kitchen [start producing tusi] and launch their own brand. New micro-brands emerge, consumption increases, andas consumption grows, demand for MDMA and ketamine also increases<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n This article features the superpowers of David Montero, coordinator of the Master\u2019s Degree in Cybercrime at the International University of La Rioja, and Javier Sanz, a criminologist specialising in cybercrime<\/p>\n Thanks to your superpowers, knowledge, and experience, we can fight harder and better against lies. The<\/em>Maldita.es<\/em><\/a>community is essential to stopping misinformation. Help us in this battle:<\/em>send us any hoaxes you come across to our WhatsApp service<\/em><\/a>,<\/em>lend us your superpowers<\/em><\/a>, spread our debunkings, and<\/em>become an Ambassador<\/em><\/a>.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n From the sample of 504 unique TikTok users analysed for this investigation who claimed to sell tusi, drugs or ingredients for its preparation, as well as recipes for making it, we selected a random sample of 30 users from different countries and contacted them through the communication channels promoted on their profiles. In some cases they provided WhatsApp contact details directly; in others, links to Telegram or WhatsApp groups. When no direct communication channel was provided, we contacted them through TikTok direct messages.<\/p>\n All contact was made through an anonymous account on a mobile phone dedicated exclusively to this investigation. Of the 30 users contacted, only 13 replied<\/b> or allowed us to enter these private spaces. In several groups, interaction was not possible, as only administrators were permitted to send messages. Where interaction was possible, we asked users about the products they sold, their prices and delivery methods. Once we had obtained the necessary information, we ended the conversation. Maldita.es did not complete any sale or exchange of any kind<\/b>.<\/p>\n The location of the profiles mentioned in this article was determined by cross-checking the results of two tools<\/b>: https:\/\/omar-thing.site\/ and a bookmarklet designed by My OSINT Tools for Maldita.es. When the results did not match, we recorded the location that could be inferred from the published content, contact number and other user information. When the My OSINT Tools bookmarklet produced no results, we cross-checked the result from omar-thing.site against the information available on the profile.<\/p>\n If you have any questions, you can contact us at [email\u00a0protected]<\/p>\n Etiquetas:#Whatsapp#tr\u00e1fico de drogas#Telegram#TikTok<\/p>\n \n Related:<\/strong> \n Join Justfine Infotech<\/strong> and build real digital skills in AI, automation, web development, digital marketing<\/a>, office productivity, e-commerce, freelancing and cybersecurity.<\/p>\n Available Programmes:<\/strong> WhatsApp:<\/strong>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/justfineinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/6aaa84cfad1b61-cuentas-tusi-dirigen-a-whatsapp-webp.webp\")
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What about Telegram? \u20ac85 recipes in channels accessed through TikTok bios that do not allow screenshots<\/h2>\n
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Those operating on TikTok: \u201cless sophisticated\u201d profiles that offer their products directly on the social network<\/h2>\n
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Giving away the recipe as an \u201cinvestment\u201d to grow the business<\/h2>\n
Methodology<\/h2>\n
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