5 months ago
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The Cochin Zonal Unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) connected Monday (December 29, 2025) filed a chargesheet earlier the District Sessions Court, Ernakulam, successful 1 of the 2 cases registered successful transportation with darknet-based cause trafficking busted earlier this year.
The enforcement bureau had seized 1,127 suspected LSD (lysergic acerb diethylamide) blots, 131.66 g of Ketamine, and crypto assets worthy ₹90 lakh during the cognition conducted successful June. The operation, code-named MELON, claimed to person successfully dismantled India’s astir prolific darknet cause syndicate operating nether the alias “Ketamelon.”
The NCB had earlier arrested 2 accused – Edison Babu, the alleged mastermind down the trafficking, and his accomplice Arun Thomas, who allegedly ran cause errands for him. Both are residents of Muvattupuzha, Ernakulam. The chargesheet besides arraigned 2 much accused. Sandeep Sajeev, primitively from North Paravur and present residing successful Hull City, United Kingdom, is accused of receiving deliveries of drugs, mostly LSD, ordered by Edison implicit the darknet and repackaging them earlier sending them backmost to India. Harikrishnan Aji Nawas, the 4th accused traced to Australia, allegedly converted cryptocurrency received by Edison arsenic outgo for drugs into currency and wired it to aggregate accounts maintained by him. The NCB has issued bluish country notices against the 2 to corroborate their respective locations and has sought grounds from U.K. and Australian authorities.
Besides, the probe remains unfastened against an entity identified arsenic Pradeep Bhai from Varanasi, who allegedly supplied Ketamine to Edison, which was sold by him connected darknet. Apart from dealing successful LSD via the darknet, Edison besides trafficked Ketamine offline wrong India. The NCB had arrested Deoal K.V. and his woman Anju Davis, who dealt successful Ketamine and were associated with Edison.
Assets seized
So far, assets worthy implicit ₹3 crore belonging to Edison person been seized by the NCB. These see a buying analyzable successful Muvattupuzha valued astatine astir ₹85 lakhs, cryptocurrency worthy ₹1.50 crore, and 1 different spot successful Idukki.
The NCB had registered 2 cases successful transportation with Ketamelon network. First was the seizure of alleged drugs from 3 postal parcels connected June 28, 2025. This was followed by a 2nd lawsuit involving the seizure of 847 much LSD blots and 131.66 g of Ketamine during a raid astatine Edison’s residence. The chargesheet filed is successful narration to the seizure from the location of Edison Babu.
Beyond carnal seizures, the probe was mostly digital, involving the postulation of IP details, communications from Edison’s modem, and forensic investigation of CPUs. The probe besides progressive planetary grounds gathering done MLAT.
Investigations revealed that “Ketamelon” was India’s lone Level 4 darknet vendor — a top-tier presumption successful the state — operating actively implicit the past 2 years. The sanction derives from the vendor’s aboriginal engagement successful Ketamine smuggling.
Reportedly, the drugs were chiefly sourced from a U.K.-based vendor, GungaDin, a known re-shipper of the globally infamous Dr. Seuss (a.k.a. DS oregon Tribe Seuss), believed to beryllium the largest LSD supplier successful the world. “Ketamelon” had established a wide network, shipping LSD to large cities including Bangalore, Chennai, Bhopal, Patna, Delhi, and regions successful Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Over the past 2 and fractional years, ‘’Ketamelon'’ reportedly shipped astir 1200 consignments.
