London drug dealers are hijacking Google Maps

Type the word ‘pharmacy’ into Google Maps, and you could wind up with more than a place to pick up an NHS prescription. That’s because London’s drug dealers are registering themselves using the term, at unrelated addresses, in order to advertise their services.

We found dealers who claimed to sell everything from cocaine and ketamine to fake banknotes, cannabis, and guns. Finding a drug dealer’s number on the internet is hardly surprising. But the overlap with real-world London addresses is causing confusion for both would-be purchasers and legitimate property owners.

One London Centric reader who got in touch to flag the issue was trying to find a late night pharmacy that was open so she could buy deworming medicine for her child, only to find various offers of MDMA delivery. She said she was tempted by the alternative on offer but it might not have had the required effect.