Darknet and courier services now key modus operandi for drug smugglers
NEW DELHI: Smuggling narcotics under the garb of transporting essential goods, courier services and the Darknet have emerged as popular ways for drug traffickers to distribute their products in the city and other states, according to officials investigating such crimes.
According to officials, the Narcotics Control Bureau has made four seizures during the
lockdown period. “During the
lockdown, drug trafficking is very tough. We have seen a few movements of local drugs like opium and marijuana but due with closed air routes and strict vigil in maritime routes, there is a decrease in international drugs
like cocaine,” one official said. The official added that courier is the only option through which international drugs can be brought to India. “It is likely whatever is being trafficked right now is through the dark web. Most suppliers are likely using stock acquired before the lockdown. Once the details are put up on the dark web, the contraband is sent by courier,” the official said, adding that they are keeping close tabs on courier movements.
Recently, the NCB arrested a BBA graduate named L Dhingra from Inderpuri and seized five parcels of Marijuana and Hemp extracts tablets. According to officials, the consignor of the parcel was based in the USA and shipped it here through Fedex. A Russian contact allegedly operates as the middleman between the Indian consignee and American consignor.
Zonal Director (NCB) KPS Malhotra said all officials are taking the necessary precuations while making arrests. The accused is immediately taken for medical check-up and contraband is sanitised before opening. “Our people are keeping masks, sanitisers regularly with them for their safety,” he said.
Meanwhile, the lockdown has affected the movements of drug traffickers in the city. “The lockdown has broken the traffickers link to transport their good by road as they are not finding the manpower or vehicles with restrictions in place,” a Delhi Police official said.
According to Delhi Police data, from January to April, as many as 115 NDPS cases were registered in which 140 people were arrested. “Around 5.073 kg of Charas, 0.430 kg of Opium, 861.952 kg marijuana, 13 kg smack/heroin, 618.500 kg poppy head and 0.642 kg Cocaine were seized,” the data shows.
Recently, a woman was arrested for allegedly selling e-cigarettes to minors in northwest Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar area. The probe revealed that she targeted minors from welloff families as they can easily bear the high cost of the products. The whole process from placing orders to payment was carried out online.