Opioid trial delves into digital tools used in alleged drug trafficking

The drug trial of a Yellowknife man offered a glimpse into how police investigate people's phones and computers and the tools used to evade detection.

An RCMP digital forensics examiner testified about what he found in a computer and phone seized as part of the investigation of Darcy Oake. The 24-year-old is on trial for four charges related to the trafficking of furanyl fentanyl.

Police seized a laptop they allege Oake used to order the furanyl fentanyl on the "dark web."

The dark web is composed of websites not accessible using normal search engines. Many of the sites sell illegal drugs and other goods.

Keyword search for 'fentanyl' netted 2,191 hits

In a summary of the search of the computer, the RCMP digital forensics examiner, Cpl. Jason Hancey, noted that a search using the keyword "Hong Kong" netted 4,506 hits. (The prosecutor alleges Oake ordered drugs from a company based in Hong Kong.)

There were 2,191 returns when the word "fentanyl" was used and 4,303 hits when Hancey typed in bitcoin, the cyber currency Oake allegedly used to pay for the drugs.

Hancey noted that "there were no communications identified (such as email or chat) that discuss the purchase of products or services with bitcoin."

He said his search may have been hampered by privacy programs on the computer.

"Privacy software was identified on this computer that may have reduced the overall number of artifacts normally received," wrote Hancey in a summary of what he found on the devices.

Hancey said that included encryption software and a Tor browser. During cross-examination, he explained that the Tor browser hides the search histories of people using it, as well as the location of websites they visit.

The search did yield two shipping numbers that matched numbers on packages from Hong Kong addressed to Oake.

Police found the labelled wrapping of one of the packages in the garage of Oake's family home, a place where he went to smoke and do drugs.

The other matched a package addressed to Oake containing 11.7 grams of furanyl fentanyl that authorities seized at the Vancouver mail centre.

'Have a line ready for me'

Texts retrieved from Oake's phone show a female friend berating him for not following through on a commitment to tell her when he took delivery of an order of furanyl fentanyl she had earlier seen him order online.

She offers to trade him some 'pams' short form for the tranquilizer Clonazepam for some of the furanyl fentanyl. When he balked at the offer, she texted back, "I can't believe you wouldn't front me a little bit ... I give you shit when I have it."

"Is the stuff at least good?" she asked.

"It is insane," Oake responded. "You have to be super careful."

"Have a line ready for me," the woman texted back.

Earlier in the trial, she testified about overdosing after snorting that line in the garage of Oake's family home. One of the charges Oake is facing is criminal negligence causing bodily harm in connection with her overdose. He overdosed on the same drugs the next day.