Drug mafia apes packing, delivery methods of e-tailers

These packets are not large consignments for ‘commercial use’, but small ones for personal use. But such packets look like they are from the genuine shopping portals which are popular in the country, the official added, while talking about the new trends in trade. “We have noticed this trend recently and are working on a couple of cases,” he added. It will look like any other parcel you receive through online shopping and nobody is going to doubt the content, official added.  

The official also noted that online trading of narcotics, particularly synthetic drugs, carried out through the dark web is also increasing. 

A recent report by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) notes that there is a global trend of purchasing drugs using the internet, particularly on dark web trading platforms using cryptocurrencies. It has spread across South Asia and is rampant in India as well. Also the LSD stamps, which are gaining ground among drug users and popular in party circles in Chennai are either procured physically from Goa or via internet. “It is easy to carry and difficult to detect,” official disclosed.

India is considered to be a major hub of drug trade ranging from age-old ganja to newer prescription drugs and designer drugs like methamphetamine. The study had identified more than 1,000 drug listings from India published across 50 online crypto-market platforms. “When we identify abused prescription drugs and bring it under controlled substance list, the pharmaceutical firms would rename it and push it again to the market,” the official said. It will again take time to identify such drugs and bring it under the scheduled list, they will change the name and market it, he added.