Indian Police Bust International Drug Ring Run by Tech Pros Using Dark Web

Pune’s law enforcement authorities have broken up a very sophisticated criminal organization involved in peddling illegal narcotics. The members employed modern technologies, such as encrypted communication networks and electronic digital currencies, in addition to other means of connecting with drug users and dealers throughout the World.

DCP (Zone 4) Somay Munde announced the arrests on Wednesday. Five people from different cities were taken into custody over the past month. The total value of seized materials hit Rs 3.45 crore.

International Network Exposed

The operation revealed connections to an international drug-peddling network spanning Thailand and Bhutan. The suspects weren’t just buying and selling locally. They were importing drugs through carefully orchestrated routes and using cutting-edge technology to hide their tracks.

“Dark web and virtual assets were being utilized to get OG-Kush ganja as well as other substances, including MD, LSD, and mushrooms into India,” DCP Munde explained at a press conference. This tactic of using hidden online markets is a recurring challenge for authorities, mirroring a recent operation where Indian police busted a dark web drug ring that specifically targeted students. “Investigation has revealed the drugs were being imported from Thailand and Bhutan to Assam and then to Pune.”

The smuggling method was clever but simple. Packages containing the corresponding narcotic drugs were shipped using courier service companies, which allowed for the shipment of illegal narcotics across International borders without using traditional means.

The range of drugs seized indicates that this was not a simple operation. Mephedrone (MD), opium, OG Kush hydroponics, LSD strips, hashish, psychedelic mushrooms, cannabis gummies, MDMA pills, and CBD oil — that is a total of nine different types of drugs being sold utilising one network!

The quantities were substantial. Officers seized 243.99 grams of MD, 1.11 kilograms of opium, and 82 grams of OG-Kush cannabis worth over Rs 1.06 crore alone.

Tech Professionals Turn Drug Dealers

The five individuals under custody are Tushar Chetan Verma (21 years), Sumit Santosh Dedwal (25 years), Akshay Sukhlal Maher (25 years), Malay Rajesh Deliwala (28 years), and Swaraj Anant Bhosale (28 years).

“The accused are all well-educated, from technical backgrounds and even IT professionals,” Munde revealed.

Their technical skills clearly helped them operate. They used the dark web to source drugs anonymously. To hide their activities from law enforcement, payments were made with cryptocurrencies and through the use of hawala systems. There was also a highly developed in-house cultivation system in place.

The case started off as part of routine patrols when an officer from the Khadki Police Station arrested Verma during a routine check. Verma was charged under the NDPS Act sections 2(B), 8(C), 20(B), and 20(2)(B).

Following a detailed investigation, a location was identified in Pimpri-Chinchwad that was being used for growing OG Kush Hydroponic Weed. Hydroponic methods of cultivation provide a higher-quality product than traditional soil-based growing techniques.

The investigation was later expanded to Mumbai. Deliwala was connected to the network, and his arrest led to the seizure of nine different drug types. Bhosale, also a Mumbai resident, was subsequently arrested.

Financial Trail Frozen

Police didn’t just seize drugs. They followed the money trail and hit the suspects where it hurt. Authorities have frozen assets worth Rs 7,80,000. This includes bank accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, and foreign currency belonging to those arrested.

Five individuals are still being investigated in connection with the same case. Of these five, three are foreign nationals, which indicates that the scope of this drug trafficking syndicate may reach further than currently established. This incident demonstrates a continuing trend in drug trafficking networks. They now operate similarly to technology-based companies, utilising technology for secure communication, E-Payments, and international shipping capabilities.

Operations such as those conducted by the Pune Police indicate how law enforcement has adapted its tactics to track this new breed of criminal. Dealers may believe they operate in anonymity, but they are far easier to track than they think on some platforms.

This trend of criminals leveraging technical expertise is not isolated to the drug trade, as seen in other sophisticated operations like the recent Indian police bust of a ₹84 crore ($10M) cyber scam ring.