I was told to fly out to somewhere in mainland Europe, but I had to be vetted before I could meet Ace. He asked for my full name, date of birth, flight numbers, arrival times, passport number, hotel address, and even what means of transport I’d use to get from the airport to the hotel. I gave him what he asked for and was told that Scurvy Crew associates were “running” my details.

After a few days of radio silence, the Scurvy Crew made contact again.

"I took on board the idea [of dealing on the Deep Web]. I did about four months' research. I did quite a few purchases and saw that this was a viable option. So I then started thinking about what I could sell. Being in Spain, where I was at the time, it’s quite well known that Bayer grows opium there, in tightly controlled, private military-guarded fields."