Malayali youth found to be mastermind behind Ketamelon; Kochi NCB busts India's largest darknet drug syndicate

KOCHI: A Malayali youth was found to be the mastermind behind Ketamelon, the largest drug trafficking network in India. The dark web drug syndicate was dismantled by the Kochi unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). According to the NCB, the main accused is Edison, a native of Muvattupuzha. The bust was the result of a mission codenamed "Melon," which had been ongoing for the past four months.

The NCB revealed that Ketamelon had been actively operating in India since 2023 as a darknet-based drug distribution network. A search conducted at the accused’s residence led to the seizure of 1,127 LSD blotters worth approximately Rs 35.12 lakh, 131.66 grams of ketamine, and digital assets worth Rs 70 lakh. The investigation team tracked the accused after weeks of surveillance and undercover operations.

The discovery of 280 LSD blotters in postal parcels that arrived in Kochi on Thursday proved to be a key breakthrough. It was confirmed that the parcels had been booked by the accused from Muvattupuzha. The following day, a raid on his residence led to the seizure of the narcotics. Authorities also recovered a pen drive containing information used to access darknet markets, cryptocurrency wallets, and hard disks. The NCB stated that the accused was identified as the only Level 4 darknet drug distributor in India.