NEW DELHI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Sunday arrested two accused linked to a pan-India narcotics distribution network connected to international darknet vendors in the Netherlands, Poland and Germany. The federal agency also seized 2,338 LSD blotters, 160 MDMA pills, 3.6 kg liquid MDMA, charas and amphetamine from multiple parcels, including two consignments originating from the Netherlands.
Investigations indicate that the network operated through darknet platforms and encrypted messaging services, distributing drugs across India through parcel services while accepting payments through cryptocurrencies to conceal financial trails.
“The darknet vendor “Team Kalki” was operated by Anurag Thakur along with his associate Vikas Rathi. Both accused are habitual offenders and were previously arrested in cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985,” the agency said.
Rathi had earlier been lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with a charas trafficking case, while Anurag Thakur had been imprisoned in a methamphetamine trafficking case. Both were lodged in Tihar Jail at the same time, during which they came together and later operated the darknet drug network “Team Kalki”.
Initially, the accused were active on the dark web forum “Dread”. After establishing themselves on Dread, they expanded their operations to the encrypted session messaging application for vending and order fulfilment.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the network had a pan-India distribution footprint and used sophisticated methods to evade detection by law enforcement agencies. It was also revealed that the accused allegedly sourced LSD and MDMA from international darknet vendors based in the Netherlands, Poland and Germany.
Orders from customers across India were received through encrypted platforms such as the dark web forum “Dread” and the Session messaging application, enabling anonymity and concealment of digital footprints.
Upon receiving orders from customers, one of the accused relayed the order details to his associate, who handled the packaging and dispatch of the narcotic consignments. The drugs were then sent to customers in different parts of the country through courier and parcel services.
The investigation also uncovered the use of a “dead drop” delivery technique, in which parcels containing narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances were placed at pre-determined locations instead of being handed over directly to customers.
“Buyers were subsequently informed of the location details, enabling them to collect the parcels while minimizing the risk of detection. The “dead drop” delivery method was used only in limited areas of Delhi, and primarily for customers with a history of multiple prior orders. For pan-India deliveries, the accused predominantly used Speed Post and other courier/parcel services. As part of a cautious operational approach to avoid detection, a different courier or parcel service booking office was used for each consignment,” the agency said.
The network is suspected to have dispatched more than 1,000 consignments since January 2025. Multiple electronic devices have been recovered from the accused, and a cryptocurrency wallet linked to the operation has also been identified.
According to the investigation, the accused accepted payments through cryptocurrencies using unhosted wallets, including Monero and USDT. The proceeds were routed through multiple intermediary wallets, with conversion charges of up to 10%, to convert the funds into USDT, which was later stored in cold wallets. In certain instances, mule KYC-compliant wallets were also used to route the proceeds into the formal banking system.
For receiving USDT payments, temporary unhosted wallets were created dynamically. The funds received were immediately transferred through multiple layers of intermediary wallets to beneficiary wallets in an attempt to obscure the transaction trail and hinder tracking by law enforcement agencies.