Latest news with #LysergicAcidDiethylamide
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Time of India
LSD & MDMA: Laced by dark web spaces, grip of synthetic drugs tightens on youth
Bhopal: Sample this, A 19-year-old student, part of an online group on a social media website, from Bhopal ordered LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide), a banned substance online through a dark web via post from Kerala. The cops, in the guise of postmen, arrested the teenager red-handed receiving the drug 'parcel' from an actual postman. This is not one of the only case in the state capital, there are several instances of the sort making the headlines, or undetected and unseized, are becoming the talk of the town lately. The number of youths falling for synthetic drugs— MDMA (ecstasy drug-- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine)— are increasing. The 'trend' has not only been worrying the cops but have also become a cause of concern for the psychiatrists as they have been noticing the increase in footfall of youngsters. Consultant psychiatrist Satyakant Trivedi said drug abuse is now becoming prevalent in the city. "The use of synthetic drugs has increased in the city by around 30-50 percent in the past decade," he said, adding that he was saying this seeing the increase in the number of patients he has been getting. Attributing the causes for easy access through social media, he said that the use of it (drugs) has gone to such a level that he has been seeing acute behavioural changes in both boys and girls in Bhopal. When asked to expand upon the causes, the psychiatrist said, "They (the youth) have become experimental and novelty-seeking in this direction. There is also peer pressure as addiction, crime and drug addiction are glorified in movies and on social media. Earlier, drug addicts were portrayed as criminals, but now they are being portrayed as 'cool'. Social media and the dark web have increased easy access and availability. " Addiction to MDMA is more common, he said. In Feb 2021, Piplani police nabbed three high-tech drug peddlers, including a mechanical engineer and two engineering students. Police seized 100 LSD 'stamps' and 100 MDMA/Ecstasy pills worth more than Rs 10 lakhs from the accused. They supplied these synthetic drugs to students and customers for rave parties after purchasing them from the dubious web. The main accused contacted the suppliers over the darkweb by using the internet at cyber-cafes. "The main accused revealed that he got the idea of purchasing drugs online through online videos. The accused paid for the drugs online in dollars and cryptocurrency," said a senior cop, adding that he remained in contact with the suppliers on the darknet through single-time-use emails in encrypted messages and chats. The supplier delivered the drugs at specific undisclosed spots in the city and informed the location through encrypted email and chats, after which the accused picked up the consignment and supplied it to students and customers for rave parties. The accused revealed that they purchased one stamp of LSD for Rs 2000/- to Rs 3000/- and sold it to end users for Rs 4500/- to Rs 5000/- or as per the demand. He got one pill of MDMA/Ecstasy or 'Meow Meow' for Rs 600 and sold it to the end user for Rs 2000 per pill. Though the cyber-crime branch is keeping a close watch on the online activities of darkwebs, in an effort to trace the networks behind these drugs. Senior police officers insist that they are taking the issue seriously and are intensifying efforts to curb the growing synthetic drug menace in the city. But the policing has be more stricter, says a social worker on condition of anonimity. In Feb 2023, the crime branch arrested a 28-year-old BBA graduate and seized MDMA from him. The accused revealed that he smuggled the drug from Uttarakhand at Rs 2000 to Rs 5000 per gram and sold them to his close friends and students in the city at a higher price ranging up to Rs 10,000 per gram. The accused procured the drug through his friends and contacts in Uttarakhand and contacted his clients through WhatsApp. Police commissioner Harinarayanchari Mishra raised his concerns over the rising trend of synthetic drug manufacturing in industries using chemicals. In many past cases solved by the police, such drugs were found to be manufactured within industrial zones. "The challenge is that police typically do not conduct routine checks of chemicals stored in factories within these areas," commissioner Mishra added. Now, Bhopal Police have launched a special campaign targeting drug trafficking, with a particular focus on areas surrounding schools and colleges. A meeting of all SHOs was recently held at the police control room to strategise and strengthen enforcement. Commissioner Mishra said that the police in Bhopal have come across cases in which the perpetrators of crime have been found to be under the influence of synthetic drugs. "Curbing drug abuse is critical for crime prevention," he added. On low number of seizures, Mishra said, "As part of the initiative, efforts are being made to boost intelligence gathering to better track and dismantle drug networks."
India Gazette
02-07-2025
- India Gazette
MP: Crime Branch, NCB jointly seize 1.96 gram LSD drug in Bhopal, one detained
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], July 2 (ANI): In a joint operation, Bhopal Crime Branch and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Bhopal unit seized 1.96 grams of LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide) drug in the city and detained a 19-year-old youth in connection with the same, a police official said on Wednesday. According to the police, the youth, identified as Karan Sharma (19), a resident of Chandbad locality in Bhopal, had been ordering the drug online from Kerala and receiving it via postal parcels. Upon receiving a tip-off about drugs being received through post, a team was forced. As soon as the youth received the parcel, he was detained by the team. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Addl. DCP, Crime) Shailendra Singh Chouhan said, 'Bhopal Crime Branch and NCB Bhopal unit jointly took an action in which we received an input that a parcel has left from Kerala containing LSD drug and a person in Bhopal will receive the parcel. Following which, a team was formed and tracked the movement of the postman as well as the accused. As soon as the parcel was delivered, the team raided the spot, seized the drug and detained one person.' A case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) act into the matter and further investigation is underway, he said. The officer added that they have taken action on the primary information as of now and are investigating the matter further to ascertain the depth of the chain. Additionally, Additional DCP Chouhan said that the sender was already arrested and they received input from that end, following which they initiated action here in the city. According to the police, the accused had ordered the drug online once or twice. The team seized 1.96 gram LSD drug from the accused and registsred a case into the matter. Further investigation into the matter is underway. (ANI)
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Time of India
Teen orders LSD drugs online, nabbed while accepting parcel
Bhopal: Cops posing as postmen alongside an actual postmen arrested a teenager red-handed after he ordered Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) drug through Dark Web in the city. A joint team of Bhopal Crime Branch and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) (Bhopal branch), on Wednesday arrested the teenager. The accused was ordering the banned substance online through Dark Web and receiving it via postal parcels. He was caught while accepting the parcel. Crime branch officials said that the 19-year-old accused is a student and member of private WhatsApp and Telegram groups through which clients order the synthetic drugs. Police are also investigating the group. Officials maintained that this may be the first case of LSD trafficking in Bhopal. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused. According to additional DCP (Crime Branch) Shailendra Singh Chouhan, the crime branch was working on intelligence inputs regarding illegal narcotics smuggling in the city. Acting on a tip-off from NCB Bhopal, police learned that a parcel containing LSD was arriving from Kerala to the Sikandari Sarai Post Office, Chandbad Road, addressed to a resident of Sikandari Sarai, Chandbad Road, Bhopal. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Schwerte: GEERS sucht 700 Testhörer für Hörgeräte ohne Zuzahlung GEERS Undo As part of the operation, crime branch officers followed the postal delivery. When the postman reached the given address and called out for the recipient, Karan Sharma came forward, accepted the sealed parcel, and signed the delivery slip. At that moment, the officers moved in and apprehended him. Upon interrogation, the accused identified himself as Karan Sharma, a resident of Chandbad in Bajaria in the city. Karan confessed to ordering the parcel through an online website on Dark Web using his mobile phone and revealed that it contained LSD. The parcel details matched the intelligence provided by NCB. He also admitted to ordering such substances online previously, after learning about the process via YouTube. A total of 1.96 gram of LSD was recovered from the parcel. Karan Sharma was formally arrested and booked under relevant sections of the NDPS Act. The NCB assisted in the entire operation, and further investigations are ongoing. Additional DCP Chouhan said that police have launched further inquiries to trace the drug supply chain and identify other potential customers involved through Telegram and other digital platforms.
The Hindu
01-07-2025
- The Hindu
NCB busts top darknet-based drug vendor; seizes drugs and cryptocurrency
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has busted a top darknet-based drug vendor named 'Ketamelon', which had been operating for the past two years. The vendor had established a wide network for shipping Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) to major cities, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Bhopal, Patna, and Delhi, as well as in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The agency suspects that over the last 14 months, 600 shipments were delivered by the vendor. 'This high-impact operation, codenamed 'Melon' was led by the NCB Cochin zonal unit and culminated in the seizure of large quantities of LSD and ketamine (1,127 LSD blots and 131.66 gm of ketamine) as well as digital assets worth ₹70 lakh,' the agency said. According to the NCB, surveillance and intelligence gathering led to the interception of three postal parcels carrying 280 LSD blots in Kochi on June 28. During the subsequent search on the premises of the person suspected to have booked the parcels, 131.66 gm ketamine and 847 more LSD blots were seized. Both the suspect and his associate have been taken into custody. 'In this search, a lot of other incriminating material, including a pen drive containing a bootable KITES operating system used to access darknet markets, multiple cryptocurrency wallets, hard disks with incriminating documents, and most importantly, a hardware wallet holding approximately ₹70 lakh-worth USDT cryptocurrency were seized,' the NCB said, adding that custodial wallets on platforms 'such as Binance' have been identified for further investigation and action. The NCB said 'Ketamelon' was India's only 'Level 4' darknet vendor operating actively over the past two years. 'The name derives from the vendor's early involvement in ketamine smuggling. Drugs were primarily sourced from a United Kingdom-based vendor Gunga Din, a known re-shipper of the globally infamous Dr. Seuss (a.k.a. DS or Tribe Seuss), believed to be the largest LSD source in the world,' it said. The estimated street value of the seized drugs is about ₹35.12 lakh, with LSD blots priced at ₹2,500-₹4,000 each. 🚨 NCB BUSTS DARKNET KINGPIN – KETAMELON IN OPS MELON 🚨 In a major crackdown, NCB Cochin busted India's only Level-4 darknet drug vendor, 🔥 KETAMELON 🔥, seizing: 🔹 1,127 LSD blots 🧠 🔹 131.66g Ketamine 💉 🔹 ₹70 Lakhs in USDT 💰 (via hardware wallet) 🔹 Darknet tools: KITES… — NCB INDIA (@narcoticsbureau) July 1, 2025 In 2023, the NCB had busted the then biggest darknet based LSD cartel named 'Zambada', seized 29,013 blots of LSD, 472 gm MDMA, and ₹51.38 lakh in cash, and arrested 14 persons. The alleged kingpins of that network are currently in judicial custody. 'Zambada was the only cartel in the country with 5-star India operating from Delhi National Capital Region. AKA DS and TS (Tribe Seuss) were coordinating with the kingpin of Zambada cartel with plans to open outlets in India,' the NCB said. The agency said the cartels on the darknet are rated on the scale of 1 to 5 levels based on the potency of the drug sold, and their 'customer service'. Also known as acid, blots, and stamp, LSD is a hallucinogenic drug. It is odourless, colourless, and tasteless, and can be painted onto small paper pieces that users lick or swallow.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Time of India
Fabricated drug case: Kerala HC allows police custody of accused
Kochi: High court has quashed the order of the Thrissur district and sessions court which had denied police custody of M N Narayana Das of Tripunithura, who is accused of conspiring with others to implicate Sheela Sunny, a beautician from Chalakudy, in a fabricated narcotics case. Justice V G Arun directed the sessions court to grant custody of Das to police within five days, corresponding to the days on which the custody of Livia Jose, the second accused, is granted. The court was considering a police petition challenging the sessions court's earlier refusal to grant custody. Sheela was arrested on Feb 27, 2023, by excise officials following the seizure of a bag containing 12 LSD stamps from her scooter, based on secret information. She was remanded and remained incarcerated for 72 days. However, a chemical analysis later confirmed that the seized material did not contain Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD). Subsequent investigation revealed that Sheela had been falsely implicated due to personal animosity. Livia, her daughter-in-law's younger sister, allegedly conspired with Das to frame her. Das was arrested on April 29, 2025. After Livia's arrest on June 13, the police approached the sessions court seeking custody of both accused for further interrogation. While custody of Livia was granted, the court rejected the request in respect of Das, citing the expiry of the statutory period for police custody. This prompted the police to approach HC.
