It's Been An Incaran For A Long Time, The FBI Beats Drug Network On The Dark Web

FBI has frozen drug networks on Dark Web (Photo; Doc. Teahub)

JAKARTA - The virtual world has not escaped crime. Recently, the United States (US) authorities managed to capture the mastermind behind the "Incognito Market", one of the marketplaces on the online black market, aka dark web, which has been a means of buying and selling drugs anonymously.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) in its official statement stated the arrest of Rui-siang Lin, a 23-year-old man from Taiwan. Lin was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport on May 18, 2024. He is suspected of being the owner and operator of the Incognito Market using the pseudonym "Pharoah" or "Faro".

According to DOJ, since its establishment in October 2020 until it closed in March 2024, Incognito Market has facilitated drug transactions and illegal prescription drugs worth more than 100 million US dollars (approximately IDR 1.6 trillion). Users from all over the world are suspected of using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR) to transact on this black market.

Assistant Director of the FBI Responsible, James Smith, stated, "For nearly four years, Rui-siang Lin is suspected of operating the 'Incognito Market,' one of the largest online platforms for narcotics sales.

He has made illegal narcotics transactions worth 100 million US dollars and made personal profits of up to millions of dollars. With the promise of anonymity, Lin's operations offer the purchase of lethal drugs and illegal prescription drugs on a global scale."

Lin is suspected of having the highest authority in the operation of the Incognito Market. He is believed to control more than 1,000 sellers and 200,000 customers.

"As the main administrator of Marketplace-1 (as Incognito Market),LIN benefits at most from Marketplace-1 activities. LIN also applies a policy for the site, and ultimately determines whether certain vendors are allowed to sell narcotics in Marketplace-1," reads the indictment filed by FBI Task Force Officer Mark Rubins.

For his actions, Lin was charged with four counts, namely being involved in sustainable criminal activities, conspiracy to narcotics, money laundering, and conspiracy to sell drugs mixed and labeled wrongly.

Lin's arrest is a warning as well as hope. The virtual world does offer easy access to information and transactions, but it does not rule out the possibility of being misused for criminal acts. Cooperation between cross-border law enforcers and public awareness is the key to creating a more secure and trusted digital space.