NCB Cracks Down on Darknet Drug Trafficking Using Cryptocurrency

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has registered 92 cases involving the use of darknet and cryptocurrency in drug trafficking over the past five years. Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, informed the Rajya Sabha about the rise in such cases and the measures being taken to counteract this troubling trend.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has registered 92 cases related to the use of darknet and cryptocurrency in drug trafficking in the past five years, according to Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai. Speaking to the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Rai highlighted the growing threat posed by advanced technologies in the drug trade.

Data provided revealed a year-by-year breakdown of cases involving darknet and cryptocurrencies: three in 2020, 49 in 2021, eight in 2022, 21 in 2023, and 11 until April 2024. Additionally, it was reported that 1,025 cases related to narcotics trafficking through parcels and couriers were recorded during this period.

To address this issue, the NCB has formed a special task force focused on suspicious darknet and cryptocurrency transactions. Furthermore, the bureau, in conjunction with the Interoperable Criminal Justice System, has launched the National Integrated Database About Arrested NDPS Offenders (NIDAAN) and the NCORD portal, which centralizes drug law enforcement information.