In its biggest seizure in the last two decades, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has confiscated 15,000 drug bolts of LSD and arrested six people linked to a pan-India network of drug traffickers operating over the dark web.
The agency has also seized 2.5 kilograms of imported marijuana and Rs 4.65 lakh in cash in possession of the suspects, agency sources said on Tuesday. According to NCB Deputy Director General Gyaneshwar Singh, the gang used cryptocurrency and the darknet, adding that the delivery was mostly done through courier services. “All dealings were virtual,” the NCB deputy director general said, adding the suspects used private messaging apps to communicate. The agency has also seized Rs 20 lakh deposited in various bank accounts.
“We’ve arrested six persons in two cases and seized 15,000 blots of LSD drug…The commercial quantity of this drug is 0.1 grams. It is a synthetic drug and is very dangerous. This is the biggest seizure in the last two decades,” the NCB Deputy Director General said. LSD or lysergic acid diethylamide is a synthetic chemical based-drug that is categorised as a hallucinogen.
The NCB official said the seized amount of 15,000 LSD blots is 2,500 times the commercial quantity. For reference, in 2021, the then Karnataka Chief Minister congratulated state police for confiscating 5,000 blots over the course of a year.
According to investigators, LSD is quite popular among youth and most of the people involved in this network are educated and young. “LSD is very easy to smuggle and almost difficult to trace. A commercial quantity is made up of 5 or 6 blots. The NCB has recovered 15,000 blots…there has not been such a huge seizure in the last several years.”
“India is slowly becoming a big consumer of LSD, which is dangerous. It is a huge network and was spread across Poland, the Netherlands, the USA, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh,” the Director General said. “Earlier in 2021, we had busted 3 dark net sites by arresting 40 accused.” The Delhi zonal team busted the cartel with the help of several units.