CLOSE your eyes and picture a drug deal happening right in front of you. You’ve probably positioned yourself near the fire exit of some smoke-filled and crowded concert venue, or maybe you’re looking down a back street on the edge of a city centre. Perhaps you see two people engaging in hurried words and a sleight-of-hand exchange of cash and drugs before each disappearing their separate ways.

While those types of deals can still happen – and do – they are a far cry from the method now proving popular with youngsters on social media.

In the modern age of smartphones, deals can easily be arranged through digital chat-rooms and packages sent in the post, without the need for a dealer or customer to ever meet face-to-face.

But what might shock you most is the ease with which someone with a mobile phone can find these murky chat-rooms.

In an attempt to determine just how simple this was, I purchased a new number,downloaded Telegram and began scouring the internet.

My tactic wasn’t particularly complicated – I searched every drug-related term I could think of and browsed dozens of internet pages to see if I could find a link to one of these chats.

My attempts included ‘Telegram drugs’, ‘Telegram drugs plug’, ‘MDMA Telegram’ and a variety of similar combinations, all while enjoying a coffee from the comfort of my bedroom.

During this search, which lasted less than two hours, I discovered entire internet threads discussing where to find drugs on apps such as Telegram and Snapchat and users asking how to avoid getting scammed.

I eventually came across a fairly bland web page describing itself as an unofficial Telegram directory, which had returned a link titled ‘UK plugs and connects’ as a result for one of my searches.

I went through the link, opened Telegram and started scrolling.

At first I thought I had hit a dead end, as the chat was essentially an advertising room filled with thousands of messages for perfectly legitimate businesses.

But after just a few minutes of browsing, I spotted several dealers posting offers to ship almost every pill and illegal drug I had ever heard of.

Menus detailed the full prices and amounts available, in a brazen manner equivalent to the dealer sticking a flyer on their parish notice-board.

Two grams of cocaine seemed a common opening selection for around £140 to £160, with some advertising up to 28 grams for about £1,400.

Around three and a half grams of ketamine was being advertised for around £100 to £110, with another dealer offering similar prices for MDMA.

Many stated that they did ‘POSTAL ONLY’ or used a cardboard box emoji to symbolise a postal package, while possible payment options – including cryptocurrency – are also made clear.

Users are encouraged to message the dealer directly with their ‘order’.

This is where things got even easier.

My very first message to a dealer who operated under the names ‘Gareth J’ and ‘Gareth007’ immediately proved successful.

My request for a few grams of cocaine and ketamine was made under the premise that I was soon to attend a party, for which I needed to sort the illegal merchandise ASAP.

Within 30 minutes of chatting I was being told I could have the class A drugs shipped to Jersey in under two days.

‘Express service courier,’ explained Gareth, as if we were going back and forth over an eBay item I’d already purchased.

At no point were any questions asked about my age, despite the fact I had chosen the username ‘scballer2006’ to imply my fictional party-goer was only 17.

In fact ‘where’ and ‘when’ were the only questions asked, along with a quick summary of my order before I checked-out my hypothetical basket.

I was being offered two grams of cocaine for £160 and over three grams of ketamine for around £100, with confirmation that my new friend Gareth was able and willing to post it to a Jersey address.

‘[It will] take one [or] two days for delivery,’ I was told.

‘It’s safe with discreet packaging.’ I attempted to probe further about how the package would be presented but I noticed the dealer become suspicious and short with his responses, avoiding the question entirely.

Aside from the obvious dangers of buying and consuming drugs, what struck me about the interaction was the ease with which we were able to communicate.

Coupled with the fact that I was apparently able to get class A substances shipped, should I want them, to my front door in two days, it also made me question how frequently these deals were happening among teenagers right under their parents’ noses.