Narcotics Control Bureau busts pan-India LSD distribution network

CHENNAI

In a breakthrough against courier-based narcotics trafficking, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), through a coordinated inter-zonal operation involving its Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Kochi Zonal Units, said it dismantled a sophisticated pan-India Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) distribution network that was operating under the cover of express courier services.

The agency said the probe commenced with the seizure of LSD blots in Chennai. Investigation into the backward linkages and supply chain 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 accused was intercepted while preparing consignments for dispatch to Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. The parcels were seized before they could reach their intended destinations.

Subsequent searches led to the recovery of substantial quantities of LSD and other narcotic substances from the residence of the accused.

Doctor and medico among accused 

Further investigation resulted in the seizure of two parcels destined for Tamil Nadu and the arrest of three accused, including a doctor and a medical college student.

One of the intercepted parcels contained 225 LSD blots planned for distribution in Kodaikanal. Two persons allegedly managing guest houses in Kodaikanal and suspected to be associated with the syndicate were presently absconding, and efforts were on to apprehend them.

During the operation, NCB officers seized 2,796 LSD blots, 166 grams of a greenish substance suspected to be Hydroponic Ganja, 113 Nitrazepam tablets weighing 59.89 grams and Rs 70,000 in cash, suspected to be proceeds of illicit drug trafficking.

Investigation revealed 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 defeat financial tracing and conceal the movement of illicit proceeds. 

The use of encrypted messaging platforms in combination with anonymity-focused cryptocurrencies and reshipping arrangements reflects an increasingly layered operational model adopted by narcotics networks to insulate principal suppliers from detection.

Efforts are under way to establish the identity of the operator behind the darknet vendor profile and to trace the associated cryptocurrency transactions, in coordination with relevant agencies.

The NCB said in a press release that the syndicate dispatched at least 14 parcels from April 2026 onwards, indicating the existence of a well-organised and sustained interstate drug trafficking network. 

“LSD is a potent hallucinogenic drug that poses serious mental and psychological health risks, including hallucinations, anxiety, tremors, depression and other behavioural disturbances. NCB has observed that LSD is frequently concealed inside documents, books, greeting cards and similar articles to evade detection during transit,” the agency said. 

The central drug law-enforcement agency urged courier and logistics service providers to remain vigilant and implement stringent Know Your Customer (KYC) norms to prevent the misuse of courier channels for narcotics trafficking.