NCB Busts International Gang Using Crypto, DarkNet To Deal Drugs

The drug traffickers employed several methods, including Darknet, cryptocurrency, digital media, UPIs, fake KYC documents, post, and courier services.

The drug trafficking network had connections in India, the US, Netherlands, and Canada.

Source : Getty

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has dismantled an international criminal gang that utilized DarkNet and cryptocurrency to deal drugs in multiple countries, including several states in India, as reported by PTI citing sources. This operation was conducted under the direct supervision of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to eliminate the drug trade in India.

The drug trafficking network had connections in the US, Netherlands, and Canada, as well as West Bengal, Gujarat, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Assam. The NCB's operation was the first of its kind, detecting and dismantling the anonymous and professional traffickers' drug market on the Darknet and social media, as well as their home delivery network.

The drug traffickers employed several methods, including Darknet, cryptocurrency, digital media, UPIs, fake KYC documents, post, and courier services. During the operation, which spanned over 11 months, the NCB registered 47 cases, arrested 40 people, and seized various drugs and cash in 2021-22, according to sources.

The NCB's coordination with foreign drug liaison officers and cooperation among various zonal units of the NCB and state police forces for simultaneous operations were the highlights of the operation. National Disaster Response Force divers were also used to retrieve crucial evidence from deep waters.

The NCB also busted an international drug racket in Ludhiana that had links to Dubai, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Seventeen people were arrested, including kingpins, traffickers, white-collar criminals, two Afghan heroin processing experts, and members of the alleged Jaggu Bhagwan Puria gang. The seizure in the case included about 34.5 kg of heroin, 5.5 kg of morphine, 0.6 kg of opium, 23.6 kg of narcotics powder, acetic anhydride, bullets, and magazines. Two heroin processing labs were also dismantled.

The NCB's financial investigation revealed Hawala network money payment channels and a group of companies involved in it. The NCB identified 45 properties, many front businesses, including liquor brands, real estate, pubs and restaurants, and 190 bank accounts as assets. So far, the NCB has recovered about Rs 4 crore drug money and frozen 35 properties and 24 bank accounts worth Rs 32 crore. The NCB is seeking to freeze assets worth at least Rs 50 crore, according to sources.

For their exceptional investigation, three NCB officers were awarded the Union Home Minister's Medal for Investigation.

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