The recent seizure of over 350 LSD blots smuggled in as a postal parcel here and the subsequent arrest of eight persons who were suspected to be part of a Darknet-based drug racket by the Kochi zonal unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has alerted enforcement agencies to the increased threat posed by technology-driven drug smuggling and couriering drugs from abroad.
In the instant case, Telegram Messenger, a cloud-based, cross-platform instant messaging service, and cryptocurrency had emerged as major tools at the hands of the accused in getting drug delivered from Germany as a postal parcel. They reportedly followed links shared over Telegram leading them to the Darknet where the order was placed, while payments were made through cryptocurrency wallets.
The accused reportedly claimed to have procured drugs in a similar manner from abroad. The NCB managed to secure almost the entire lot of LSD blots except for a few either sold or consumed by the accused themselves, sources said.
