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Binance CEO Richard Teng says crypto aided India darknet drug probe

Binance CEO Richard Teng says crypto aided India darknet drug probe

Binance said its investigators and DSCI helped India’s NCB trace wallets and freeze crypto linked to Team Kalki, underscoring how public blockchain records can support narcotics investigations.

Fact Check
The claim is corroborated by Binance's own compliance blog (linked from the Binance staff post @filipebinance) which confirms the Binance Investigations team and DSCI supported India's NCB investigation into Team Kalki using blockchain analytics and wallet tracing to freeze crypto assets. The bitcoin.com primary article and cryptonews.net both confirm Richard Teng's commentary on July 27 about crypto leaving a trail for law enforcement, and coinness.com corroborates Teng's statement. All sources consistently describe the same operation, entities (NCB, DSCI, Binance, Team Kalki), and Teng's public remarks, making the claim well supported.
Summary

Binance expanded on CEO Richard Teng’s remarks about an India darknet drug investigation, saying its investigations team and the Data Security Council of India helped the Narcotics Control Bureau trace crypto flows, identify connected wallets and freeze assets tied to Team Kalki. Investigators said the syndicate used cryptocurrency, encrypted messaging platform Session, darknet forum Dread and dead-drop deliveries to distribute narcotics sourced from international suppliers, with authorities seizing thousands of drug items from domestic and international parcels linked to the network. Binance’s account of the July 22 cooperation followed an earlier NCB announcement on Team Kalki and framed the case as another example of how blockchain analytics can expose criminal money trails despite efforts to operate anonymously online.

Terms & Concepts
  • on-chain fund flows: Movement of digital assets that can be tracked on a public blockchain ledger.
  • darknet: A hidden part of the internet that often relies on anonymity tools and hosts illicit marketplaces.
  • blockchain analytics: Techniques used to trace wallet activity and transaction patterns on public ledgers.