NCB busts top darknet-based drug vendor; seizes drugs and cryptocurrency

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has busted a top darknet-based drug vendor named ‘Ketamelon’, which had been operating for the past two years. The vendor had established a wide network for shipping Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) to major cities, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Bhopal, Patna, and Delhi, as well as in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The agency suspects that over the last 14 months, 600 shipments were delivered by the vendor. “This high-impact operation, codenamed ‘Melon’ was led by the NCB Cochin zonal unit and culminated in the seizure of large quantities of LSD and ketamine (1,127 LSD blots and 131.66 gm of ketamine) as well as digital assets worth ₹70 lakh,” the agency said.

According to the NCB, surveillance and intelligence gathering led to the interception of three postal parcels carrying 280 LSD blots in Kochi on June 28. During the subsequent search on the premises of the person suspected to have booked the parcels, 131.66 gm ketamine and 847 more LSD blots were seized. Both the suspect and his associate have been taken into custody.

“In this search, a lot of other incriminating material, including a pen drive containing a bootable KITES operating system used to access darknet markets, multiple cryptocurrency wallets, hard disks with incriminating documents, and most importantly, a hardware wallet holding approximately ₹70 lakh-worth USDT cryptocurrency were seized,” the NCB said, adding that custodial wallets on platforms “such as Binance” have been identified for further investigation and action.

The NCB said ‘Ketamelon’ was India’s only ‘Level 4’ darknet vendor operating actively over the past two years. “The name derives from the vendor’s early involvement in ketamine smuggling. Drugs were primarily sourced from a United Kingdom-based vendor Gunga Din, a known re-shipper of the globally infamous Dr. Seuss (a.k.a. DS or Tribe Seuss), believed to be the largest LSD source in the world,” it said.

The estimated street value of the seized drugs is about ₹35.12 lakh, with LSD blots priced at ₹2,500-₹4,000 each.

In 2023, the NCB had busted the then biggest darknet based LSD cartel named ‘Zambada’, seized 29,013 blots of LSD, 472 gm MDMA, and ₹51.38 lakh in cash, and arrested 14 persons. The alleged kingpins of that network are currently in judicial custody. “Zambada was the only cartel in the country with 5-star rating…in India operating from Delhi National Capital Region. Dr.Seuss AKA DS and TS (Tribe Seuss) were coordinating with the kingpin of Zambada cartel with plans to open outlets in India,” the NCB said.

The agency said the cartels on the darknet are rated on the scale of 1 to 5 levels based on the potency of the drug sold, and their “customer service”.

Also known as acid, blots, and stamp, LSD is a hallucinogenic drug. It is odourless, colourless, and tasteless, and can be painted onto small paper pieces that users lick or swallow.