New Delhi: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has busted a dark web-based drug trafficking network with international links to Europe, arresting two persons and seizing party drugs worth about Rs 5 crore in the international market, officials said on Sunday.
The accused allegedly sourced narcotics from darknet vendors in the Netherlands, Poland and Germany, while orders from Indian customers were received through encrypted platforms, including the dark web forum ‘Dread’ and the ‘Session’ messaging application. The NCB said the network, operating under the code name ‘Team Kalki’, is suspected to have dispatched more than 1,000 consignments since January 2025 and used cryptocurrency to launder proceeds from drug sales.
During the operation, the agency intercepted 13 domestic parcels and two international parcels originating from the Netherlands. Officials seized 2,338 LSD blots, 160 MDMA (Ecstasy) pills, about 73 grams of charas (cannabis), 3.64 grams of amphetamine and 3.6 kg of liquid MDMA.
Two alleged habitual offenders, Anurag Thakur and Vikas Rathi, were arrested after the agency tracked the network for nearly three months.
Investigators said the network used a “dead drop” delivery method in parts of Delhi, where drug parcels were left at pre-determined locations rather than handed directly to customers, ensuring anonymity. For pan-India deliveries, the accused mainly relied on Speed Post services of India Post and other courier operators.
The NCB said the seizure highlights the increasing use of darknet marketplaces and encrypted platforms for trafficking narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
The agency had earlier busted similar darknet-based networks during operations ‘Zambada’ in 2023 and ‘Ketamelon’ in 2025.
