A 40-year-old Indian man, Banmeet Singh from Haldwani, Uttarakhand, claimed guilty in an Ohio court to charges related to operating a significant controlled substance on a dark web drug trafficking network. After being extradited from the United Kingdom in March 2023, Banmeet Singh was sentenced to five years in jail and ordered to seize approximately $150 million for his involvement in a global drug distribution network through dark web drug platforms.
It has been believed that the "largest single cryptocurrency financial seizure" in the history of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
According to the sources, Banmeet Singh created retail marketing platforms on various dark web marketplaces like Silk Road, Alpha Bay, Hansa, and similar platforms. Through these platforms, he engaged in the sales of controlled substances, such as fentanyl, LSD, ecstasy, Xanax, Ketamine, and tramadol.
Barnmeet Singh's customers brought abused substances from him using cryptocurrency on his websites. Singh then sent controlled substances himself from Europe to the United States or organized their delivery through US mail or other shipping services.
From 2012 to July 2017, Singh controlled at least eight distribution cells within the United States, including Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, North Dakota, and Washington. These units were responsible for distributing the controlled substance to locations in all 50 states, as well as Canada, England, Irelands, Jamaica, Scotland, and the US Virgin Islands, as per Kenneth L. Parker, Attorney of Ohio's Southern District. "Today, with Banmeet Singh's plea of guilty, the dance is over", further he said.
Today's guilt plea, which includes forfeiture of approximately $150 million in cryptocurrency. Shows that the Justice Department will hold criminals who violate the US law accountable no matter how they conceal their activity. Together with our international partner, we will continue to find criminals lurking in the darkness and bring their crimes to light.
Nicole M Argentieri, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Criminal Division
"DEA is proud to have worked with its law enforcement partners in the United States and the United Kingdom to dismantle this enterprise, protect the American people, and bring Singh to Justice," said Anne Milgram, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) official.
According to an official release, the Singh drug operated a large-scale drug network, moving hundreds of kilograms of controlled substances across the United States. The organization established a multimillion-dollar drug enterprise, laundering millions of dollars of drug proceeds into cryptocurrency accounts, ultimately amassing approximately $150 million.
Barnmeet Singh's illegal activities led to his arrest in London in April 2019, followed by extradition to the United States last year to face charges. The Court ordered an eight-year jail sentence, pending the determination of the sentencing date by a federal district court judge.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Tabsum Amjad Baig/MSM)
