According to the NCB, the prime accused, Muvattupuzha native Edison, is a key player in the darknet drug trade, operating the largest network in India.
Published Jul 02, 2025 | 9:45 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 02, 2025 | 10:59 AM
NCB seized LSD blots worth over ₹35 lakh.
Synopsis: The NCB Cochin unit has busted India’s only Level-4 darknet drug vendor, operating under the alias ‘Ketamelon’. According to the NCB, the prime accused is a key player in the darknet drug trade, operating the largest level-4 network in India.
In a significant breakthrough against darknet-based narcotics trafficking, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Cochin unit busted India’s only Level-4 darknet drug vendor, operating under the alias ‘Ketamelon’.
According to the NCB, the prime accused, Muvattupuzha native Edison, is a key player in the darknet drug trade, operating the largest network in India.
The arrest followed a four-month investigation, during which NCB seized LSD blots worth over ₹35 lakh. He allegedly handled over 10,000 LSD blots in a month, with transactions carried out using Monero cryptocurrency. Edison is believed to have run the operation alone, with limited help from his domestic worker.
Edison was presented before the court and subsequently remanded in judicial custody.
The NCB plans to move the court on Wednesday, 2 July, to seek his custody for further interrogation. A mechanical engineer by profession, Edison is believed to have run the entire operation on his own. Sources revealed that his involvement in drug peddling through the dark web began nearly six years ago, starting with small-scale deals.
The agency suspects that the vendor made around 600 deliveries over the past 14 months.
According to the NCB, the syndicate had been operating across major Indian cities, sourcing drugs through darknet platforms and dispatching parcels to locations including Bengaluru, Chennai, Bhopal, Patna, and Delhi.
A raid at the accused’s residence led to the recovery of narcotics, digital storage devices, cryptocurrency wallets, and tools used for darknet transactions.
In a social media post, the NCB revealed that the operation led to the seizure of 1,127 LSD blots, 131.66 grams of Ketamine, and ₹70 lakh worth of cryptocurrency in USDT secured via a hardware wallet.
Authorities also confiscated darknet tools, including KITES OS, crypto wallets, and storage drives used for illicit operations. According to officials, drugs were sourced from the UK-based vendor ‘Gunga Din’, reportedly linked to the notorious global LSD cartel ‘Dr. Seuss’.
The NCB has urged the public to report drug-related crimes anonymously via the toll-free helpline 1933. The agency termed it one of India’s most sophisticated darknet drug busts to date.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman and Dileep V Kumar.)
