2 min readNew DelhiMar 8, 2026 07:10 PM IST
THE NARCOTICS Control Bureau (NCB) said on Sunday that it has dismantled a darknet-based drug trafficking network operating nationwide under the name “Team Kalki”.
Active since January last year, the syndicate used encrypted platforms, including darknet forums and a messaging app, to deliver synthetic drugs across India, the NCB said.
“Acting on months of intelligence inputs, NCB carried out an operation in New Delhi, seizing 2,338 LSD blotters, 160 MDMA pills (77.5 grams), 73.6 grams of charas, 3.6 grams of amphetamine, and 3.6 kg of liquid MDMA. The drugs were recovered from 13 domestic and two international parcels, some of which were traced back to consignments originating from the Netherlands,” a spokesperson for the NCB said.
Offenders allegedly planned darknet network in Tihar jail: NCB
According to the agency, the network was operated by Anurag Thakur and Vikas Rathi, both of whom are repeat offenders previously arrested by Delhi Police on charges of drug peddling. “The two allegedly met while lodged in Tihar Jail, where they planned the darknet network after serving separate sentences for methamphetamine and charas trafficking,” the spokesperson said.
“Initially operating through the dark web forum ‘Dread’, Team Kalki gained a four-star vendor rating, reflecting a high volume of successful transactions. The duo later expanded to Session, an encrypted messaging app, to handle orders and coordinate deliveries,” the spokesperson alleged.
Investigators said the network maintained a pan-India footprint, dispatching narcotics through courier and postal services, while employing sophisticated measures to evade detection. For select repeat customers in Delhi, the group reportedly used a “dead drop” method — placing drug parcels at predetermined pickup points to avoid direct contact.
Preliminary findings indicate that the network sourced LSD and MDMA from darknet vendors in the Netherlands, Poland and Germany. NCB has traced drug consignments to several states including Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, and Karnataka, with multiple parcels intercepted before delivery.
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The agency also uncovered the network’s cryptocurrency-based payment system, involving unhosted wallets and privacy coins such as Monero and USDT (Tether) to conceal money trails. “Funds were routed through several intermediary wallets and cold storage accounts, with some proceeds allegedly laundered through mule KYC-compliant wallets into bank accounts,” the spokesperson said.
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