Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are frequently used as a medium of payment in the dark web. Buyers of illegal drugs would pay for their purchase in crypto and then receive the substance through the postal service.
‘Crypto King’
Adivirkar, known as the ‘Crypto King’ in the underground drug circuit, reportedly facilitated these crypto-based transactions. He would receive cash from his clients and, in turn, use his crypto wallet to purchase the hallucinogenic drug LSD and other illicit substances from the darknet on their behalf. He would then receive a commission for his efforts.
WazirX denies involvement with Adivirkar
Wankhede claimed that Adivirkar used many Bitcoin wallets on different crypto exchanges, including India’s biggest digital asset trading platform WazirX. The exchange confirmed that it received an email from NCB inquiring about Adivirkar’s trading activities on its platform, but it denied any connection with the accused.
Suspicious Bitcoin transactions
Adivirkar was caught after NCB Mumbai seized 20 LSD blots from an Indian village in November 2020. They became suspicious because the substance was made in Europe and may have been procured from the darknet. They were finally able to trace Adivirkar following an intelligence operation that discovered two suspicious transactions from his Bitcoin wallet. [binance]
