New Delhi: A 40-year-old Indian national hailing from Haldwani, Uttarakhand, has admitted guilt in an Ohio court for his involvement in running an extensive dark web drug trafficking network. Banmeet Singh, the individual behind a global drug distribution operation, was extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States last year.Plea and seizureBanmeet Singh, known for vending controlled substances on platforms like Silk Road, Alpha Bay and Hansa, has agreed to forfeit an astounding $150 million in cryptocurrency. This seizure is believed to mark the largest single cryptocurrency confiscation in the history of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).Singh, extradited from the United Kingdom in March 2023, confessed to charges of money laundering and other related offences during a court session in Columbus, Ohio, as reported by The Washington Post.Banmeet Singh plead guilty today in a dark web narcotics case involving $150 million, which is believed to be the largest single cryptocurrency financial seizure in DEA history. Read more about it here https://t.co/fxcNXfBNbu. pic.twitter.com/i372s0Z9zl— DEADetroit (@DEADETROITDiv) January 26, 2024Modus operandi in dark web drug vendingAccording to court documents, Singh established vendor marketing sites on various dark web marketplaces, offering a spectrum of controlled substances including fentanyl, LSD, ecstasy, Xanax, Ketamine and Tramadol. Clients conducted transactions using cryptocurrency, with Singh overseeing the distribution by personally arranging shipments from Europe to the United States through various shipping services.Nicole M Argentieri, the acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, commented on the guilty plea, emphasising the commitment to hold criminals accountable irrespective of their methods of concealment.Extent of operationFrom mid-2012 to July 2017, Singh controlled at least eight distribution cells across the US. These cells were responsible for receiving drug shipments from overseas, repackaging them and distributing the drugs across all 50 states of the US and to several international locations including Canada, England, Ireland, Jamaica, Scotland and the US Virgin Islands, according to Kenneth L. Parker, Attorney of Ohios Southern District.Arrest and legal proceedingsBanmeet Singhs criminal activities came to an end in April 2019 when he was apprehended in London. Following extradition procedures, he was brought to the United States in 2023 to face charges. Singh pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to possession and distribution of controlled substances, as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering.The agreed sentence for Singh is eight years in prison, pending the determination of the sentencing date by a federal district court judge.The case has been under investigation by various law enforcement agencies including the DEA, IRS: CI, HSI, USPIS and local police departments in Ohio, with collaboration from the United Kingdoms National Crime Agency (NCA), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and UK Central Authority (UKCA).
