Dark web drugs operations have faced a major blow as the owner of Incognito Market, Rui-Siang Lin, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for selling over $105 million worth of illegal drugs worldwide. The Taiwanese national, also known as Ruisiang Lin, Pharoah, and faro, was arrested in May 2024 and pleaded guilty in December to charges including money laundering and conspiring to distribute narcotics.
U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon described this case as the “most serious drug crime I have ever been confronted with in 27.5 years,” labeling Incognito Market as a business that transformed Lin into a “drug kingpin.” The severity of the sentence underscores the government’s commitment to cracking down on illegal activities conducted on the dark web.
Incognito Market’s Illegal Activities
According to the complaint, Incognito Market facilitated the sale of more than one ton of narcotics. This included staggering amounts of methamphetamine (295 kilograms), cocaine (364 kilograms), amphetamine (112 kilograms), and ecstasy (92 kilograms), with some drugs being laced with fentanyl. The platform hosted over 1,800 vendors and 400,000 customer accounts, processing more than 640,000 transactions. Lin held ultimate control, managing all operations and making key decisions for the multimillion-dollar enterprise.
Customers used cryptocurrency to purchase drugs through “Incognito Bank,” a payment platform designed for the marketplace. The operation generated over $83.6 million in revenue, with Lin personally profiting over $4.1 million from a 5% commission on each transaction. Law enforcement obtained search warrants in July 2022 and August 2023, accessing servers that hosted marketplace data, blocked DDoS attacks, and processed cryptocurrency transactions.
The Shutdown and Extortion Attempt
Lin operated Incognito Market from October 2020 until March 2024. He abruptly shut down the marketplace and attempted to extort vendors and customers by threatening to release their transaction histories if they did not pay an additional fee. This brazen act further solidified his criminal intent and disregard for the law.
“Rui-Siang Lin was one of the world’s most prolific drug traffickers, using the internet to sell more than $105 million of illegal drugs throughout this country and across the globe,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.
Clayton emphasized the devastating consequences of Lin’s actions, stating that he was responsible for at least one tragic death and exacerbated the opioid crisis, causing misery for over 470,000 narcotics users and their families. In addition to the 30-year prison sentence, Lin was ordered to forfeit $105,045,109.67 and will face five years of supervised release.
Crackdown on Dark Web Marketplaces
This sentencing follows other recent cases involving dark web marketplaces. A Virginia man pleaded guilty to federal drug conspiracy charges for co-creating Empire Market, facilitating $430 million in illegal transactions. Additionally, a Slovakian national admitted to helping operate a darknet marketplace that sold narcotics, cybercrime tools, and stolen personal information for over two years. These cases highlight the ongoing efforts to combat illegal activities on the dark web. For more on similar cases, see related Fraudulents news.
Dark Web Drugs: A Long-Term Battle
The sentencing of Rui-Siang Lin sends a strong message to those involved in dark web drugs operations. Law enforcement agencies are actively working to identify, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who use the internet to facilitate the sale of illegal substances. While the fight against dark web drugs continues, this case represents a significant victory in the ongoing effort to protect communities from the devastating impact of narcotics trafficking. The dark web drugs trade is a serious threat, and this sentence reflects that.
Source: BleepingComputer
