The BBC do not need a warrant to monitor the public posts on this site any more than anyone else does. They are a newsgathering organisation and it is classed as in the public interest they monitor news sources; and passing on something “dodgy” to the cops is no different than when it happens on investigative reporting programmes.
to get at the contents of a private message or stuff like IP addresses that does require the Police and Courts, often in more than one nation. However if the quantities being discusssed are large enough or its a crime involveing vulnerable people many countries will work together.
The reality though with party drugs/NPS is the cops they simply monitor data like rises in ambulance callouts and suspected ODs from the health authorities long before they do any “james bond” type stuff.
Ketamine droughts (or those of any other substance) usually happen simply because intelligent middle class kids in Hong Kong, Karachi and Bolton suddenly start going down with addictions and nasty medical issues (some irreversible) from excessive use; which leads to greater action taken against diversion.
Of course
