In 5 Yrs, NCB Registered 92 Drug Trafficking Cases Involving Darknet, Cryptocurrency: Govt

New Delhi: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has registered 92 cases related to the use of darknet and cryptocurrency in drug trafficking in the last five years, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. In response to a written question, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said, “Use of darknet, cryptocurrencies and parcel and couriers for drug trafficking have been noticed.”

Data provided by the ministry in the response showed that between 2020 and 2024 (till April), the NCB has registered 92 cases in connection with the use of darknet and cryptocurrencies in drug trafficking.

According to it, the bureau registered three such cases in 2020, 49 in 2021, eight in 2022, 21 in 2023 and 11 till April this year.

In addition, 1,025 cases involving parcel and couriers in narcotics trafficking have been reported by all drug law enforcement agencies during the period, it said.

To tackle the trend, a special task force on darknet and cryptocurrency has been constituted to monitor suspicious transactions related to drugs on the darknet, Rai said.

“The Narcotics Control Bureau in association with Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) has created a portal called National Integrated Database About Arrested NDPS Offenders (NIDAAN),” he said.

Rai added that an NCORD portal has been developed as an all-in-one portal for information related to drug law enforcement.