NCB Plans Custodial Interrogation of India's Darknet Drug Kingpin
NCB Targets India’s Darknet Drug Kingpin in Major Crackdown
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is gearing up to seek custodial interrogation of a 35-year-old engineer, Edison, suspected to be India’s largest darknet drug vendor. Arrested alongside an associate in a major operation in Muvattupuzha, Kerala, both are currently in judicial custody. The NCB plans to approach the court to deepen its probe into the syndicate.
The breakthrough came on June 28 when the NCB intercepted three suspicious postal parcels, triggering Operation MELON. A raid on Edison’s residence the next day uncovered 847 LSD blots and 131.66 grams of ketamine, valued at Rs 35 lakh. In total, authorities seized 1,127 LSD blots, 131.66 grams of ketamine, and crypto assets worth Rs 70 lakh.
Edison, identified as India’s only ‘Level 4’ darknet vendor—a high-volume, high-trust status—is believed to have run a vast drug network spanning Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Bhopal, Patna, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Investigators allege that over the past 18 months, Edison dispatched over 600 consignments, with LSD blots priced between Rs 2,500 and Rs 4,000 each.
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The NCB, which had been tracking him for months, sees his arrest as a critical step in dismantling darknet-based drug trafficking in India. Further interrogation could expose deeper networks and digital trails fueling this illicit trade. Locals in Muvattupuzha were stunned, with a neighbor describing Edison as a quiet businessman, unaware of his alleged criminal activities.
As the NCB prepares to unravel the full extent of the syndicate, this operation marks a significant blow to India’s darknet drug trade, highlighting the growing challenge of combating tech-driven narcotics networks.
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