I'm basically looking for tips on becoming a vendor. I understand quite a lot about this, but getting into it will be different than just an understanding of OPSEC. Here are some questions that I'd love some people with experience to answer:
1) Partner - do I need one? I am a narcotics user, although very stable and honest, so I am worried that the potential candidates I have won't be trustworthy if they are users too (they are mostly long-time drug friends who I would trust, but I would have to teach them a lot about OPSEC mainly).
2) Location - It seems like the best would be living in an urban location. What factors should I consider in this? Certainly affordability will be one (i.e. no NYC), but availability will be another. Is living in a major urban city always the best? Many large cities like SF have FBI recording devices and cameras everywhere, so maybe a suburban city could be best? I am willing to move locations for this.
3) Dropping off the packages - This is what I'm most concerned about. Let's say I get 2 dozen orders in a day. I'll have to wear gloves dropping them off. How do I do this safely? How many packages can I drop off safely? Honestly it is not very common to see people putting 10 packages in a blue-box at a time. Do I do this at night? There are cameras in cities.
4) Obtaining the drugs. A) drop houses will always be tied to myself and bring on the risk of others taking my drugs, and B) buying from a dealer has it's own risks.
Anyway, you don't have to answer every question. Just some tips and ideas would be helpful for me. I know the process of putting together a package correctly, but I do not want to be locked up so I need advice on #1-4 that will keep me safe.
Only get one if you absolutely must. Every person you involve into your operation is a huge risk. It doesn't matter for how long you know them or how good, if they are really put under pressure most of them break. Don't learn this the hard way, just keep your vendor operation a one-man operation.
There isn't really the one location which suits best for a vendor. However when you pick one make sure that you have several locations to drop your packages and be aware where on these routes they have cameras.
Two dozens orders a day are too much to send out every day. Start small and don't get too big, after all you are running a one man operation. Wearing gloves also might be suspicious when it's extremely hot outside and you are dropping off ten packages at once. Make sure that you rotate the locations where and when you drop them off. Don't wear anything that would draw attention to you. Just imagine what a perfectly average law-abiding citizen would wear and act like one. Be friendly but not too memorable.
Don't store (all) your drugs in your house. Period. If you get into trouble your house will be the first place to be under surveillance or raided. Store the majority of your products in a location that is not tied to your identity but also safe so that you don't have to worry about that someone could randomly visit it every second. If you get busted the last thing you want is charges for several pounds instead of just a few ounces.
Some additional tips:
don't get too big
switch your vendor name and setup every 5 or 6 months, meaning new vendor account, new stealth, new writing style, new PGP keys,... That way you'll decrease the risk of an serious investigation immensely (if you do it right). You won't get as much customers as when you would run one account for two years but this helps to keep your operation small, inconspicuous and you don't loose your head (like shiny flakes did).
Know when to stop. Every day you vend is a risk for your entire future. Don't do it longer than you have to because one day you will fuck up and you'll have to pay a hefty price
Separate wherever possible. Don't link two things together if you can avoid it, for example: don't tell your dealer that you are also selling.
Most of the vendors get caught because they did their job too long and didn't switch up their setup. Read about busted vendors and learn from their cases.