The Anti-Narcotics Cell of the Gurugram police has arrested a man hailing from Kolkata for allegedly procuring LSD from an international source using cryptocurrency , officials said on Friday.

The accused, Mohammad Shahbaz (27) from New Town in Kolkata, was arrested from Sector 43 here on Wednesday. He had been staying in a paying guest accommodation in Delhi’s Saket area, police said.

A total of 2.7 grams of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), in the form of children’s tattoo stickers, was seized from his possession in the presence of a gazetted officer, they said.

During interrogation, the accused admitted that he had ordered the drugs from a portal named Bioness , through Tor browser, making payments in cryptocurrency, said Sub-Inspector Karamjit, in charge of the Anti-Narcotics Cell.

He said that the drug resembles a stamp ticket and it is not easily recognizable. Even drug scanners sometimes fail to detect it.

The accused told police that the drugs were meant for distribution at parties in Gurugram.

An FIR has been registered against him under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act Section 22(c) (punishment for contravention in relation to psychotropic substances) at Sushant Lok police station, and further investigation is underway, officials said.

A senior investigating officer said LSD is widely used in the US, Russia, and European countries, with a rising trend among Indian youth, particularly in rave parties.

The drug is typically placed on the tongue to produce hallucinogenic effects, he said.

“Shahbaz has been working as a photographer in Delhi for the past year. He has been remanded to four days of police custody, and we are questioning him about his international connections,” Karamjit added. 

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