In New Delhi, India’s campaign against narcotics has led to the emergence of a new threat: drug trafficking networks operating through the dark web and cryptocurrencies. Enforcement agencies are now facing a rapidly evolving challenge as the narcotics trade shifts away from conventional smuggling routes, making investigations more complex. According to officials, the dark web has become a major platform for drug cartels, with transactions fueled by cryptocurrency, allowing smugglers to conceal their networks behind digital wallets.
An Intelligence Bureau official stated that tracing financial transactions is crucial in drug smuggling operations, but the use of cryptocurrency has made it difficult for agencies to track. The conventional land, air, and sea routes are no longer a major challenge, but the cryptocurrency transactions made by drug lords are hard to track. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has booked 92 cases involving the dark net and cryptocurrencies between 2020 and 2024.
Earlier this year, the NCB busted a dark net-enabled pan-India drug distribution network known as Team Kalki, which sourced high-grade LSD and MDMA from Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands. The cartel used a drop-dead technique, leaving drugs at pre-determined hidden locations for trusted customers, and managed over 1,000 orders across the country. Officials say that while the dark net remains a challenge, smaller cartels operating without the backing of bigger cartels are emerging, making the battle against drugs even more challenging.
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📰 Source: Mangalorean News