Police Claim Drug Dealers Are Now Using Emojis To Sell Their Products Through Text

In today’s society emojis are widely used in a variety of ways, mainly as a means to express emotions through a picture. The word emoji means picture character, in the Japanese language “e” means picture and “moji” means character. Emojis were originally used in Japan where they were created, however they have gained much popularity in the United States, especially among iPhone users- and now these fun picture characters are being used by some to traffic drugs.

Many drug dealers and users have slang names and nicknames used to describe different drugs. For instance, some refer to marijuana as “Mary Jane” or coke as “snow.” However, police claim that an alleged drug dealer had used emojis as code names for drug deals of ecstasy and MDMA..

According to Brisbane Times Regan Peter Howlett, 19, was arrested for drug trafficking. During Howett’s arrest police allegedly found a knife, 11 MDMA pills, a bag of white powder and four mobile phones inside a bedroom in his home. Howett has been charged with 26 counts of supplying a dangerous drug and trafficking.

After Howett’s arrest police officers downloaded the suspects text messages and concluded that Howett had been using emojis to reference drugs to his customers. Queensland police say that he was using a lightning bolt and heart emojis as references to MDMA and ecstasy when texting his potential buyers, according to Brisbane Times. It has been interpreted that the hearts and lightening bolts are used to reference the feelings they induce such as elation and excitability.

“It will be alleged he used these phones to conduct the business of trafficking drugs,” said Sergeant Shane Turner, as quoted by the Brisbane Times.

Howett is currently out on bail and is due to appear in court on August 3rd.

Have you ever used emojis to represent secret code? There are researchers in Sweden who have created emojis to use for kids to ask for help with their parent’s substance abuse or cases of domestic violence.

 

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