CHENNAI: A doctor and an MBBS student from Tamil Nadu are among the four persons arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), which busted a pan-India LSD network that operated over the dark web and paid in cryptocurrency.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate dispatched at least 14 parcels since April 2026, indicating the existence of a well-organised and sustained interstate drug trafficking network, the NCB said.
The NCB seized 2,796 LSD blots worth about Rs 1 crore; 225 of them were intended for distribution in Kodaikanal. The narcotics bureau has also launched a search for two persons managing guest houses and facilitating the drug trade in Kodaikanal.
The investigation commenced with the seizure of LSD blots in Chennai a few weeks ago; the supply chain probe revealed that parcels containing LSD were being dispatched from Pune to various parts of the country through courier services.
"Based on sustained intelligence and technical surveillance, NCB officers conducted a week-long coordinated operation in Chennai, Kanniyakumari and Pune. The operation resulted in the arrest of a key syndicate member responsible for receiving, repackaging and dispatching LSD consignments to customers across multiple States," the NCB stated in an official release.
Subsequent searches led to the recovery of substantial quantities of LSD and other narcotic substances from the residence of the accused.
Further investigation resulted in the seizure of two parcels destined for Tamil Nadu and the arrest of three accused — included a medical student and a doctor — the NCB said.
Apart from LSD, NCB officers also seized 166 grams of hydroponic ganja, 113 nitrazepam tablets and Rs 70,000 cash, suspected to be proceeds of illicit drug trafficking.
The investigation has further revealed that the narcotic substances trafficked by the syndicate were sourced through a darknet marketplace, where a vendor operating a dedicated personalised vendor storefront was offering LSD for sale to buyers across India.
The vendor accepted payments in Monero (XMR), a privacy-oriented cryptocurrency specifically designed to obscure transaction trails, in order to dodge financial tracing and conceal the movement of illicit proceeds.
Efforts are underway to establish the identity of the operator behind the darknet vendor profile and to trace the associated cryptocurrency transactions, the NCB said. Investigations to identify the entire supply chain and apprehend all remaining members of the syndicate are also ongoing, it noted.
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is a powerful, synthetic mind-altering substance commonly known as "acid" and is frequently concealed inside documents, books, greeting cards and similar articles to evade detection by law enforcement.