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- Indian authorities own dismantled a Monero-essentially based darknet drug market
- They’ve seized over 1,127 LSD blots, 131 g ketamine, and roughly ₹70 lakh (≈ $82 000) in crypto belongings
- A 35-year-worn engineer identified as “Ketamelon” has been arrested in reference to the community
Indian authorities own dismantled a darknet market that equipped medication in return for Monero. A 35‑year‑worn mechanical engineer from Kerala, working under the alias “Ketamelon,” changed into following Operation MELON, implemented by India’s Narcotics Reduction a watch on Bureau (NCB). Officials own uncovered evidence that he utilized Monero, a privacy‑focused cryptocurrency, to facilitate transactions with international suppliers and evade legislation enforcement. The bust has uncovered what authorities are calling India’s most prolific darknet drug syndicate, with shipments reaching all over main Indian cities.
Darknet Kingpin Captured
In a coordinated sweep, the NCB’s Kochi zonal unit accomplished Operation MELON, culminating within the seizure of 1,127 LSD blots and 131.66 g of ketamine from “Ketamelon’s” location and intercepted parcels. They also confiscated crypto holdings valued at approximately ₹70 lakh ($82,000), essentially in USDT, plus Monero faded in laundering operations:
🚨 NCB BUSTS DARKNET KINGPIN – KETAMELON IN OPS MELON 🚨
In a serious crackdown, NCB Cochin busted India’s simplest Level-4 darknet drug supplier, 🔥 KETAMELON 🔥, seizing:
🔹 1,127 LSD blots 🧠
🔹 131.66g Ketamine 💉
🔹 ₹70 Lakhs in USDT 💰 (by hardware pockets)
🔹 Darknet tools: KITES… pic.twitter.com/KqvfXcw07h— NCB INDIA (@narcoticsbureau) July 1, 2025
The NCB great that Monero changed into chosen consequently of its sturdy privacy structure, including stealth addresses, ring signatures, and confidential transactions which obscure sender, receiver, and switch amounts. “Monero is an untraceable cryptocurrency extensively faded by terrorist outfits and international drug syndicates for transferring money,” one legit remarked, noting the difficulty in linking transactions.
World Provide Chain
Investigators reveal “Ketamelon” sourced excessive-quantity LSD shipments—as much as 10,000 blots per command—from a UK-essentially based supplier most incessantly known as “Gunga Din,” after which discreetly distributed them all over cities worship Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Bhopal, Patna, and parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The syndicate reportedly carried out around 600 parcels over 14 months the utilization of mistaken IDs, SIM playing cards, and postal intercepts.
The operation began in slack June when postal seizures in Kochi uncovered LSD-encumbered parcels, which ended in surveillance and raids at Edison’s house, where the broad majority of the store and crypto belongings were uncovered. The NCB alleges that he operated the darknet market single-handedly, elevating him to India’s simplest “Level 4” supplier.
No subject Monero’s kind for confidentiality, illicit customers shouldn’t be too complacent: encourage in 2020, Chanalysis began engaged on systems of cracking its encryption, and we’re going to have the selection to simplest judge they haven’t been idle…
