KOCHI: In a breakthrough, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has busted a massive international drug racket operating through the darknet, seizing over Rs one crore worth of narcotics and crypto assets.
A Muvattupuzha native, believed to be the kingpin, is among two people taken into custody in the high-stakes operation code-named 'Operation MELON.'
Led by the NCB Cochin Zonal Unit, the raid resulted in the seizure of 1,127 LSD blots, 131.66 grams of Ketamine, and cryptocurrency assets worth Rs 70 lakh -- marking one of the biggest LSD busts in the country.
The operation was set in motion on June 28 when officers intercepted 280 LSD blots from three international parcels at the Kochi International Post Office.
All three parcels were traced back to the prime accused in Muvattupuzha. A swift follow-up search at his residence the next day unearthed 847 more LSD blots and over 130 grams of Ketamine -- together valued at Rs 35.12 lakh. The real shocker came from the digital trail.
Officials discovered a pen drive containing TAILS OS, the operating system designed for accessing darknet markets, along with multiple crypto wallets, hard disks with incriminating material, and a hardware wallet loaded with Rs 70 lakh worth of USDT.
Investigators also found evidence of custodial wallets on global platforms like Binance, which are now under scrutiny.
NCB sources revealed that the accused operated under the alias 'Ketamelon', identified as India’s only Level 4 vendor on the darknet -- a status awarded based on the quality of drugs sold and customer satisfaction.
The moniker is said to be inspired by his early dealings in Ketamine, before expanding to LSD.
According to the NCB, the drugs were allegedly sourced from ‘Gunga Din’, a UK-based supplier linked to Dr Seuss aka DS or Tribe Seuss, the world’s largest LSD distributor.
Over the past 14 months, Ketamelon is believed to have dispatched nearly 600 consignments to cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Patna, Bhopal, Delhi, and remote regions in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
“This is the second-largest LSD seizure in India, after the 2023 bust of another five-star-rated darknet cartel. The Muvattupuzha native is suspected to be the kingpin of this sophisticated trafficking network. Investigations are on to identify the end-users and other operatives,” an NCB officer said.
The bust has exposed how deeply entrenched darknet-facilitated narcotics trade has become, and officials believe more shocking revelations could follow.