‘Biggest’ darknet LSD cartel busted, three arrested: NCB

New Delhi, August 1

The Narcotics Control Bureau said it has busted the biggest darknet-based LSD cartel operating in India with the seizure of more than 13,000 blots (doses) and Rs 26 lakh in cash with the arrest of three persons.

What darknet is

Darknet refers to the deep hidden internet platform that is used for narcotics sale, exchange of pornographic content and other illegal activities by using the secret alleys of The Onion Router (ToR) to evade surveillance by law enforcement agencies.

Addressing mediapersons, NCB Deputy Director General (Operations and Enforcement) Gyaneshwar Singh said the cartel named Zambada has a “high volume of business and supply chain” of this hallucinogenic category drug and is also operating in the UK, the US, South Africa, Canada, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Turkiye. The cartel was being operated by young, educated men in the 21-25 year age-group, he added.

The official said this is the second LSD trafficking cartel busted by the NCB in the last three months.

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)

LSD is a synthetic chemical based-drug and is a hallucinogen. It is abused largely by youngsters. It is odourless, colourless and tasteless and is painted on small squares of paper (blots) that can be licked or swallowed.

The NCB had seized a cache of 15,000 LSD blots, the highest-ever catch in one operation, and arrested half-a-dozen people in June.

In continued operations, it was learnt that the largest cartel operating in LSD on the darknet — Zambada — operates from Delhi-NCR, said Singh.

“Two of the ground operators of this cartel were identified through technical and human surveillance and this led to the location of the mastermind of this cartel, who was operating from Ballabgarh (Faridabad) in Haryana,” he added.

The NCB Delhi zonal office conducted multiple raids at the premises of these three persons, leading to the seizure of 13,863 LSD blots, 428 grams MDMA (ecstasy) and the freezing of Rs 26.73 lakh drug money, he said, adding that Zambada is the only cartel in the country with a so-called 5-star rating.

In a statement released later, the NCB said drug cartels on the darknet are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars based on the potency of drugs sold through their platform and customer service.