Taiwanese national and dark net drug dealer Rui-Siang Lin, ‘Pharaoh’, who allegedly made more than $100 million in cryptocurrency sales of illegal narcotics, has been arrested by U.S. authorities.
Rui-Siang Lin, alternatively referred to as Ruisiang Lin, 林睿庠, Pharoah, and faro, was apprehended at John F. Kennedy Airport on May 18th in relation to his purported operation of Incognito Market, a significant illicit narcotics marketplace on the dark web. The 23-year-old Taiwanese Darknet Drug Dealer stands accused of enabling anonymous international transactions involving illegal narcotics via this particular platform. Lin is slated to make an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willis at the federal court in Manhattan 2024/05.
Allegation Against Incognito Market
The online dark web platform known as Incognito Market was established in October 2020 and is accused of facilitating illegal narcotics sales totaling over $100 million. These sales reportedly included significant quantities of cocaine and methamphetamines. Accessible through the Tor web browser, Incognito Market provided a user-friendly interface for buyers to browse and purchase various illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine, LSD, MDMA, oxycodone, methamphetamines, ketamine, and alprazolam. Additionally, the platform sold misbranded prescription medications, some of which contained dangerous substances like fentanyl.
Operating under the aliases "Pharoah" or "Faro," Lin allegedly oversaw all operations of the marketplace, including managing employees, coordinating vendors, and handling customer service. The complaint alleges that he held ultimate decision-making authority over the multimillion-dollar enterprise.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams of the Southern District of New York reiterated the commitment to prosecuting dark web criminals, stating, "It is alleged that Rui-Siang Lin operated a dangerous and sophisticated online drug marketplace that generated millions of dollars for him while harming the community. Whether criminals operate on street corners or in the hidden corners of the internet, law enforcement partners and dedicated prosecutors from the Southern District of New York will relentlessly pursue them. Those seeking to break the law will not find sanctuary in the so-called 'dark web'."
Mr. Rui-Siang Lin, utilizing the alias "Pharoah," has been engaged in the operation of the illicit online platform known as "Incognito Market" for a duration of approximately four years.
On Saturday, he was apprehended at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. The U.S. attorney's office has asserted that Mr. Rui-Siang Lin is accused of engaging in the unlawful distribution of narcotics, including the highly dangerous substance fentanyl, to customers located across the globe. In order to successfully apprehend Mr. Rui-Siang Lin, the United States authorities, in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, cooperated with the El Dorado Task Force's Darkweb and Cryptocurrency Task Force. Employing state-of-the-art methodologies, these entities targeted individuals possessing advanced criminal knowledge and expertise.
Per the statement, Lin is facing charges including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life imprisonment, as well as narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum potential sentence of life imprisonment. Additionally, Lin is charged with money laundering, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison, and conspiracy to sell adulterated and misbranded medication, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated in a press release:
"As alleged, Rui-Siang Lin operated a sophisticated and dangerous online narcotics marketplace through which he profited millions of dollars at the community’s expense. The dedicated prosecutors from the Southern District of New York and our law enforcement partners will pursue criminal actors regardless of whether they operate on street corners or in the dark corners of the internet. The so-called ‘dark web’ is not a safe haven for those who seek to break the law."
The Incognito Market, allegedly operated by 'Pharaoh', was described by the FBI as "one of the largest online platforms for narcotics sales" for nearly four years.
The platform conducted $100 million in illicit narcotics transactions and generated millions of dollars in profits.
Each vendor on the Incognito Market paid 5% of every transaction to 'Pharaoh', which funded the platform's operations, including employee salaries and server costs.
To facilitate transactions, Incognito Market had its own bank where users could deposit cryptocurrencies into their "bank accounts.
After a narcotics transaction, crypto from the buyer's account was transferred to the seller's account, minus the 5% fee collected by Incognito.
Final Notes
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith stated, "Under the promise of anonymity, Lin’s alleged operation offered the purchase of lethal drugs and fraudulent prescription medication on a global scale. The FBI is committed to targeting and dismantling all criminal enterprises, especially those whose leaders distribute illegal substances on the dark web."
