Cops seize drugs worth Rs 90-lakh bought from the Dark Web

In a special drive, the Central Crime Branch sleuths conducted raids at eight places in the city and arrested 10 drug peddlers, including a Nigerian national, and seized drugs worth Rs 90 lakh.

City police commissioner Kamal Pant said that the accused purchased drugs from the Dark Web. "Using the Tor browser, they accessed various websites like Empire Market, Silk route, Drug Board and other banned websites and imported various kinds of drugs including sedatives by paying Bitcoin. They paid for the drug through Bitcoins," he said.

The investigation has revealed that the drugs were delivered in the form of gift packs. They were getting the parcels from abroad even through India Post. "They were supplying the drugs to college students and youths in an organised system. The CCB police with the help of Customs officials managed to arrest the accused," he added.

The CCB officials had gathered information of drug peddlers in the city and conducted raids at eight places, including HSR Layout, Vijayanagar, Mahalakshmipuram, Halasuru, KG Halli, Indiranagar, HAL and Ramamurthy Nagar who were sourcing drugs through darg net and peddling in the city, Pant said.

The arrested are Sarthak Arya (31), Nithin (24), Karthik Gowda (25), Zaman Anjameena (25), Mohammed Ali Aalitujari (29), Amal Baiju (20), Phoenix D'Souza (24), Shon Shazi, Venkat Varun (33) and Sanni O Innocenta (26).

Police have seized 660 LSD papers, 386 MDMA, 180 ecstasy tablets, 12 grams of MDMA crystal, 10 grams cocaine and 12 mobile phones, three laptops, two two-wheelers from the accused. The value of seized materials is estimated to be Rs 90 lakh.

Police have registered eight cases in all the eight police stations and they were booked under NDPS act.