Law enforcement officers warn that social media sites are increasingly used as storefronts for illegal drug sales, with emojis (these cute tiny symbols and characters) being used as code names for drug purchases.
The investigation into the Lombok case prompted authorities to break the implications of emojis to help the public decode illegal transactions.
According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the drug case involved several students from Cabrillo High School in Lompoc, northeastern Santa Barbara County, who became ill after consuming edible marijuana products in February.
The Sheriff’s Office has not specified how many students or students eat marijuana products in the incident.
Detectives from the Sheriff’s Cannabis Compliance Team and School Resources Representatives began an investigation into the incident and identified an adult, Flor Yudith Zamora, 21, who provided edible marijuana products to the 15-year-old student.
The 15-year-old brought the cannabis product to high school and the teenager shared it with other students.
According to authorities, detectives discovered that Zamora is selling marijuana products, psilocybin (also known as “river house”), nicotine products, codeine (opium) and alcohol for undecided children.
In payment transactions and information about the product, detectives found emojis were used to identify drugs being sold.
Emojis are used to discuss payments sent to Zamora using Zelle and Cash Apps, which allow peer-to-peer payments.
In 2021, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Bureau investigated more than 80 cases involving drug trafficking on Internet apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tiktok, X and YouTube.
According to federal agencies, available drugs on these apps were advertised on those apps in posts that disappeared within 24 hours and deleted after a certain time.
The agency found in a published report that once a connection is established by commenting on a post or sending messages directly to a social media account, it then transfers the conversation to encrypted messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram.
After the deal was concluded, the drug seller asked to pay with peer-to-peer trading services from Venmo, Zelle, Cash App and Remit.
Officials from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office require parents to review suspicious activity or unfamiliar contacts on their children’s social media accounts.
“Tell them about the dangers of illegal drug activity and the risks of interacting with unknown individuals online,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Anyone who may be helpful in this situation is encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Marijuana Compliance Team at (805) 681-4150 or by email cannabistips@sbsheriff.org. Anonymous tips can be made by calling (805) 681-4171 or by dialing the office’s prompt line online at sbsheriff.org.
