Taiwanese man Rui-Siang Lin, 23 years old, was previously arrested at New York airport by U.S. prosecutors for allegedly founding, operating, and selling over $100 million worth of illegal drugs on the Dark Web drug market "Incognito Market". On 12/16, Lin pleaded guilty in a New York federal court and admitted to conspiracy to distribute narcotics, money laundering, and selling counterfeit and unapproved drugs, and will be sentenced on March 27, 2025.
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ToggleThe Dark Web drug trading platform was large-scale, with the individual earning millions of dollars
The drug trading platform "Incognito Market", which existed on the Dark Web from October 2020 to March 2024, was operated by Lin Rui-siang himself. However, he used the alias "Pharoah" to be responsible for all operational matters, including employees, suppliers, and buyers, and collected a 5% transaction fee, accumulating personal profits of millions of dollars.
The drugs sold on the platform included heroin, cocaine, LSD, MDMA, Oxycodone, and methamphetamine, and even counterfeit drugs containing fentanyl were found after inspection. Users with demand could access Incognito Market anonymously through the Tor browser to make purchases.
The platform's operations mimicked legal e-commerce, with an anonymous banking system protecting buyers and sellers
Incognito Market was designed similarly to mainstream e-commerce websites, including brand interfaces, advertising, and customer service functions. Users had to register an account and pay an entry fee before they could browse the thousands of drug listings on the website and use cryptocurrencies to pay through the platform's built-in anonymous "banking" system.
Blueprints revealed criminal plans
Even before the establishment of Incognito Market, Lin Rui-siang had already sent the preliminary design drawings of Incognito Market to himself, and the content of the design drawings was almost identical to the actual functions of the platform later. During the platform's operation, the U.S. prosecutors also discovered through undercover investigations that the drugs sold on Incognito Market included counterfeit drugs, such as drugs claimed to be Oxycodone but found to be fentanyl after inspection. Eventually, the U.S. prosecutors successfully shut down the platform and arrested Lin Rui-siang.
Lin Rui-siang will eventually plead guilty, facing the risk of life imprisonment
Lin Rui-siang pleaded guilty in a New York federal court on 12/16, and was charged by U.S. prosecutors with drug trafficking, money laundering, and selling counterfeit drugs, with a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment, but the final sentence will be determined by a U.S. judge based on the U.S. sentencing guidelines and relevant factors. The law is all-encompassing, and the 23-year-old Lin Rui-siang, in the prime of his youth, chose to take the illegal path due to greed, and may have to spend the rest of his life in prison, which is deeply saddening.
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