The Narcotics Control Bureau has dismantled a transnational drug trafficking syndicate that used encrypted digital platforms, drop-shipping models and cryptocurrency to smuggle controlled medicines across four continents.

"Congratulations to the NCB and all agencies on busting a global drug cartel. The probe set a stellar example of multi-agency coordination, resulting in eight arrests and the seizure of five consignments while triggering crackdowns in the US and Australia against the ring that operates across four continents and 10-plus nations," home minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday.

He said the agencies were monitoring sophisticated modes like crypto payments and anonymous drop shippers used by these gangs.

What began with a routine vehicle interception in Delhi unravelled into a sophisticated criminal web operating across India, the US, Australia and Europe, showcasing the global reach of illicit pharma networks and the NCB's capability to lead coordinated international enforcement actions, an official press statement said.

On May 25, acting on intelligence, the NCB intercepted a car near Mandi House in Delhi. From the possession of its two occupants — BPharma graduates from a private university in Noida — 3.7kg of Tramadol tablets were seized. The duo confessed to operating a vendor profile on a major Indian B2B platform, from where they sold pharmaceutical pills to clients across the US, Europe and Australia.