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Onmanorama Staff
Published: March 03 , 2025 01:34 PM IST
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A 23-year-old LLB student in Thiruvananthapuram, Athul Krishna, who the Excise officials arrested on Saturday, transacted via dark web, cryptocurrency, foreign countries and obscure fintech apps to source MDMA for the past two years. He did away with conventional routes and methods to source and peddle narcotic substances, and the officials now have to track the complex digital trail to identify the source. He had sourced MDMA from France and Germany twice and hybrid ganja from Shillong, excise officials said.
A resident of Vembayam in Thiruvananthapuram, Athul was remanded into Ernakulam sub-jail on Saturday. Athul did his business on the dark web, leaving no hint of suspicion until his plan went awry with a recent order from France. The postal department officials raised suspicion over a parcel from France received at the sorting facility of Kochi international post office on February 17. The communication was passed to the Ernakulam range, and the excise officials confirmed that the substance inside was MDMA. It was wrapped in a white packet sealed by a strip of sticky material.
The team tracked the address to a house in Peroorkada. It belonged to Athul’s friend and was close to the Peroorkada Law Academy where he studied. Athul would closely track the package, and whenever it arrived at the Peroorkada post office, he would get in touch with the postman and receive the parcel directly. The officials contacted the postman, who said a parcel was also delivered to him on February 15. "We have passed the information to the Excise special squad in Thiruvananthapuram. We strongly believe that he peddled substances and drugs in and around the Law academy," said Saji V, Excise range inspector, Ernakulam.
The excise officials held Athul from his residence at Vembayam. Athul has reportedly been non-cooperative with the excise officials. "He doesn’t give away much information. Though he has confessed to sourcing and peddling MDMA, he has challenged us to prove his transactions. He has done everything on the dark web and using bitcoins," an Excise official said.
His mobile phone has been handed over to the cyber forensic wing for detailed analysis.
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