India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has uncovered the country’s biggest darknet drug network, where a 35-year-old engineer from Kerala secretly ran the operation alone for nearly two years. What shocked investigators even more was his use of Monero, a privacy-focused cryptocurrency, to hide the drug money trail. This powerful digital coin helped him cover his tracks while sending illegal drugs like LSD and ketamine across major Indian cities — all without his family knowing.
Officials say the suspect used the darknet, a hidden part of the internet, to sell dangerous drugs like LSD and ketamine. These drugs were secretly shipped to cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, and parts of Himachal Pradesh. According to investigators, the drugs mostly came from international sellers, including one in the United Kingdom known to be the world’s biggest supplier of LSD.
Over four months, authorities closely followed the digital footprints of the accused. During the raid, they seized more than 1,100 LSD blots and around 130 grams of ketamine. The value of the drugs and digital money found adds up to more than ₹68 lakh (about $82,000). This arrest has brought a major drug operation to a halt.
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The Role of Monero in Hiding the Trail
The accused used a type of cryptocurrency called Monero to hide the money he made. Monero is different from other digital currencies like Bitcoin. While Bitcoin records transactions in a public ledger anyone can see, Monero hides almost all transaction details — such as who sent money, who received it, and how much was sent.
This kind of secrecy made it easier for the accused to carry out his crimes without being noticed. Experts say Monero is often used by criminals on the darknet for this very reason. Its advanced privacy features help them avoid getting caught.
However, investigators say that even Monero is not 100% safe from being traced. Although Monero makes it very hard to track transactions, it still records them on its blockchain. With the right tools and skills, some parts of these transactions can be analyzed. This is what helped the NCB gather digital evidence against the suspect.
NCB officers said the arrested man carefully learned how to move his money to avoid raising suspicion. He laundered (cleaned) his earnings by switching between cryptocurrencies and using Monero to make the path harder to follow. This complex digital trail took time and effort for officers to crack, but in the end, they were able to link the funds directly to his drug sales.
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International Links and Global Attention
The NCB also revealed that the drugs sold by the accused mostly came from foreign sources. Some of the LSD was supplied by vendors in the UK. One of these vendors is believed to be the world’s largest LSD seller. These drugs were brought into India using clever smuggling techniques, often hidden in parcels and sent through regular mail or courier services.
This bust is not only important for India but has also caught the attention of international crime-fighting agencies. Around the same time, the United States Treasury placed sanctions on a Russian hosting company linked to cybercrimes, including darknet drug sales and ransomware attacks. This shows that countries across the world are working together more closely to fight cybercrime and illegal use of cryptocurrencies.
According to officers, the arrested man kept his real identity hidden by using fake names and digital tools to mask his online activity. Despite all these efforts, he eventually left behind just enough digital evidence for investigators to track him down.
This case shows how even the most high-tech criminal plans can be exposed with patience, teamwork, and modern technology. It also serves as a warning that the use of privacy coins like Monero — though clever — is not foolproof.