Mumbai: Once seen as mere platforms for chatting and sharing information, social media platforms have now become hotspots for crimes like drug trafficking. Apps meant for messaging and video sharing are being misused to indirectly promote and deal drugs, making it increasingly difficult for law enforcement agencies to monitor and crack down on such activities.
Criminals are taking full advantage of encrypted and secure messaging platforms to operate their drug networks. Among all, the most dangerous and secretive network remains the Dark Net.
What is the Dark Net?
The Dark Net is a hidden part of the internet that cannot be accessed using normal browsers. It comprises approximately 4–5% of the total internet. To access it, one needs a special browser called Tor (The Onion Router), which masks the user’s identity by routing data through multiple encrypted layers, like an onion. This layered encryption makes tracking user activity extremely difficult for law enforcement.
On various Dark Net marketplaces, activities range from the sale of drugs and weapons to human trafficking and contract killings. Most transactions are carried out in cryptocurrencies, making financial tracking nearly impossible.
Maharashtra Cyber’s Breakthrough
Despite the anonymity, Maharashtra Cyber achieved a major breakthrough by developing a dedicated Dark Net monitoring system last year. The system is headed by an inspector-level officer and has helped the agency trace drug networks operating on the hidden web.
Through this system, Maharashtra Cyber identified 15 drug marketplaces on the Dark Net selling substances like cocaine and other narcotics. The team tracked links to these platforms and successfully managed to deactivate several of them.
However, tracing the actual IP addresses of these criminals has remained a challenge, as the Tor browser hides their locations behind a complex network of fake IPs spanning multiple countries. Currently, the most effective way to catch offenders is during the physical delivery of the drugs.
Threat on Social Media
Apart from the Dark Net, authorities are also keeping an eye on certain social media platforms, where drug-related activities may surface through secret chats and coded video content. A major hurdle, however, is the lack of access to these private communications and the reluctance of social media companies to share data due to privacy regulations.
So far, police haven’t found any active drug-related links on public internet platforms, but the possibility of drug deals taking place on social media cannot be ruled out.
As Maharashtra Cyber continues its vigilant watch, this operation underscores the urgent need for more robust monitoring tools and stronger collaboration between tech companies and law enforcement agencies.
