The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai Zone busted a darknet-based multi-state network of drug syndicate and arrested two traffickers with 125 MDMA ecstasy tablets sourced from the Netherlands and paid in cryptocurrency Bitcoin.
NCB sleuths were monitoring the darknet for drug trafficking based on an information about Mumbai-based distributors sourcing narcotics on the internet.
The agency identified parcel and arrested distributors N Salvi and S Shukla.
“Since MDMA and other high valued drugs are mainly procured from foreign destinations, particularly the Netherlands and other European countries, special emphasis were given on scrutiny of suspected patterns, transactions and parcels destined towards Mumbai.
Subsequent follow up action led to the arrests of the duo and both confessed involvement in the drug trafficking,” confirmed a senior NCB official.
NCB investigation led to seizure of incriminating evidences pertaining to access to illicit drug market, procurement, payment transactions records. The drug traffickers took advantage of the anonymity and faded financial trails, used cryptocurrency to make payments of drugs through darknet.
“The probe into darknet accounts and crypto wallet has identified international cartels dealing in drugs with linkages in several countries and many states in India. Various aspects are being investigated to gather further information into the inland as well as offshore based syndicates,” said the NCB official.
