TNR News Network
Shimla:
A major breakthrough by the Shimla police has revealed a sophisticated narcotics trafficking network being operated via the Dark Web and virtual phone numbers. After months of high-tech surveillance and digital tracking, the police succeeded in arresting Sandeep Shah, a notorious interstate drug trafficker, from Kolkata.
Shah had been operating a large-scale illegal “chitta” (synthetic drug) supply chain in the Shimla region of Himachal Pradesh using cutting-edge digital tools to evade law enforcement.
Digital shadows: Trafficking through the dark web
For the past several years, Sandeep Shah had been using the Dark Web, often referred to as the internet’s “underworld”, to run his drug network anonymously. With no direct contact between buyer and seller, the network relied on virtual numbers (VoIP) and location-based deliveries to maintain secrecy. Buyers made online payments, after which the delivery was dropped off at designated locations.
Even when users caught with the substance led authorities back to the network, the use of encrypted digital trails made it nearly impossible to reach the mastermind.
What are virtual numbers and why they’re a threat
Virtual numbers, also known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) numbers, operate through the internet rather than traditional telecom networks. These numbers can be accessed via smartphones, tablets, or computers and are hard to trace, especially since many originate from foreign countries and are often not linked to verified KYC identities.
This makes real-time tracking difficult, allowing criminals like Shah and his associates to communicate freely and anonymously across state and national borders.
Massive network busted: Over 50 cases connected
The operation led by the Shimla police has cracked over 50 related cases, exposing a larger network that includes not only Shah but others like Shahi Mahatma gang members and foreign nationals, including a Nigerian national arrested from Delhi. All were found using virtual identities and dark web platforms to conduct drug trade activities in Shimla and beyond.
The Shimla police are learnt to have adapted new cyber-investigation techniques in response to the evolving criminal methods. “As traffickers go digital, so must we,” a senior police official said. “This is no longer just a street-level crime but a full-fledged cyber-enabled narcotics network with international links.”
Preliminary investigations suggest that the nexus may extend to suppliers in Punjab, Delhi and possibly overseas. Young addicts and unemployed locals are being roped in as local peddlers while the masterminds remain hidden behind layers of digital anonymity.
