This highlights the diverse methods being employed by traffickers to distribute illegal substances. Since 2020, India has recorded 92 cases involving the use of the darknet and cryptocurrencies for drug transactions, according to Nityanand Rai, Minister of State for Home Affairs. These statistics were presented in response to parliamentary questions from opposition MP Jose K. Mani, who inquired about the increasing use of technology in drug trafficking activities. This came a day after Punjab Police seized a huge amount of drugs in a major operation to crackdown on cross-border narcotics smuggling.
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Sustained vigilance, enhanced cybercriminal expertise, and expanded inter-agency cooperation are essential to prevent recurrence and achieve a drug‑resilient India. Authorities estimate that over 600 items were delivered across the country, taking use of postal system flaws to achieve scale and stealth. On the financial side, the network funneled funds through privacy-focused digital assets like Monero, while also using wallet-hopping and obfuscation techniques. In a major breakthrough against crime, India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), with support from the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and assistance from Binance, dismantled “Ketamelon,” the country’s most sophisticated darknet drug network.
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NCB’s deputy DG Singh said the latest seizure of about 15,000 LSD blots is 2,500 times of the commercial quantity. The deputy DG further said that till now, the highest seizure of LSD was 5,000 blots by the Karnataka Police during the entire span of 2021 and about a similar amount of blots by the Kolkata NCB in 2022 in a single operation. A total of 14,961 blots were seized as part of the about two-week long operation and the blots are of “gammagoblin and holy spirit of asura” brand, Singh said. “Due to intensified vigilance and improved coordination, drug seizures have exponentially increased in India in the last few years,” the home minister said on Twitter. The agency noted that while Kerala typically sees fewer than 1,000 LSD blots seized annually, Edison was allegedly distributing around 10,000 LSD blots across the country each month.
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Overcoming these challenges led to the success of ‘Operation Melon.’ Edison is identified as the chief orchestrator and seller within this network. LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), a hallucinogenic substance, causes altered perceptions. Often painted on small paper squares, it is tasteless, odourless, and colourless. Users report sensing colours or hearing sounds, often accompanied by intense emotions and distorted perception of space and time. 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 morphine, 0.6 kg opium, 23.6 kg narcotics powder, acetic anhydride, bullets and magazines.
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- A subsequent raid on Edison’s residence uncovered 1,127 LSD blotters, 131 grams of Ketamine, and cryptocurrency wallets holding about ₹70 lakh.
- In a high-stakes operation codenamed “MELON”, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) recently dismantled India’s most prolific darknet drug syndicate, “Ketamelon”.
- Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
- “This was (Ketamelon) one of India’s most prolific darknet drugs syndicates.
- Binance’s compliance and investigations teams performed critical roles in transforming blockchain transparency into enforcement.
- This cartel comprises young educated men in the age bracket of years…various web series on OTT platforms inspired their mode of operations.
Security researchers have been monitoring forums within the cybercriminal underworld to investigate the leading markets operating in 2024. Some dark web marketplaces even host content that’s not just illegal but extremely harmful, so it’s really important to understand the risks before diving in. Others are looking for stolen data, hacking services, or even banned books and political content.
It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.The Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi). Drugs were primarily sourced from a UK-based vendor Gunga Din, a known reshipper of the globally infamous Dr Seuss (aka DS or Tribe Seuss), believed to be the largest LSD source in the world. Perhaps most shocking to the community was the revelation that Edison Babu had maintained an utterly normal family life. Neighbors described him as “bookish” and “hardworking,” and none had any inkling of his secret criminal career. This underscores a critical shift in the profile of India’s new-generation cyber criminals—educated, technically skilled individuals who blend seamlessly into mainstream society.
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It is trafficked by painting it on blots, half the size of a stamp paper, and is consumed by licking or swallowing. In a case that has shocked authorities and digital security experts alike, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has uncovered India’s largest dark web drug syndicate, run by a 29-year-old man from Kerala. The syndicate, which went by the name “Ketamelon”, used the dark web to sell drugs like LSD and Ketamine across the country. It is odourless, colourless, and tasteless, and can be painted onto small paper pieces that users lick or swallow. The estimated street value of the seized drugs is about ₹35.12 lakh, with LSD blots priced at ₹2,500-₹4,000 each.
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Evidence uncovered during the operation included a hardware wallet holding about $800 worth of USDT and custodial wallets on platforms such as Binance. The NCB cited Binance’s assistance in tracing and analyzing cryptocurrency activity, which played a crucial role in identifying and freezing illicit funds. This process, he noted, leaves a digital trail that can be followed with the right tools and cooperation 1. The darknet—the encrypted, unindexed part of the internet accessible only through specialized software like Tor—is a notorious hub for illegal activities. It’s where international drug deals, arms sales, and illicit services are routinely brokered away from the prying eyes of law enforcement.
Yet, until recently, most large-scale darknet drug operations in India were believed to be the domain of organized criminal syndicates or foreign cartels. The Narcotics Control Bureau on Tuesday claimed to have busted a pan-India drugs trafficking network operating on the dark web with the “largest ever” seizure of 15,000 LSD blots in one operation and arrest of six people who are students and youngsters. LSD or lysergic acid diethylamide is a synthetic chemical based-drug and is categorised as a hallucinogen. In order to identify those linked to the darknet-based drug trafficking cartels, special teams were formed by the NCB’s Delhi zonal unit. An operation was launched on April 19, which led to the detection of the second largest cartel with the seizure of about 15,000 LSD blots, 44 gm of MDMA and seizure/freezing of drug money amounting to ₹24.65 lakh.
A Canadian market established in 2021, WTN offers over 9,000 products, including narcotics, fake goods, and digital services. It operates in both French and English and has built a reputation for ease-of-use. LSD — also commonly known as acid, blots, and stamps — is a potent hallucinogenic drug, without any colour, taste or smell. WeTheNorth is a Canadian market established in 2021 that also serves international users.
The Ketamelon case has highlighted both the opportunities and dangers of modern technology. While digital anonymity has opened new doors for crime, it has also forced law enforcement agencies to adopt cutting-edge methods to stay ahead. The police confirmed that Grapnel and Cyber Dome’s expanded surveillance network had already identified at least 25 other suspected dark web traffickers in Kerala earlier this year.
It also added that Ketamelon had established a widespread network shipping LSD to several major Indian cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Bhopal, Patna, and some cities in the hill states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the newspaper.
