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U.S. prosecutors assert that the Taiwanese operator of the $105 Million Incognito Market utilized cryptocurrency and anonymity tools prior to investigators linking him to the platform via domain records and digital footprints.
What to know:
- Rui-Siang Lin, a 24-year-old Taiwanese national who operated the dark web narcotics marketplace Incognito Market under the alias "Pharaoh," received a 30-year sentence in U.S. federal prison.
- According to prosecutors, Incognito Market facilitated illegal drug sales exceeding $105 million from October 2020 to March 2024, enabling more than 640,000 transactions for hundreds of thousands of buyers globally.
- U.S. authorities connected the marketplace to Lin through blockchain analysis, undercover purchases, and domain registration records that revealed his real name, phone number, and address, stating that his operation contributed to at least one death and exacerbated the opioid crisis.
Rui-Siang Lin, identified as the alleged operator of the dark web narcotics platform “Incognito Market,” was sentenced to 30 years in U.S. federal prison on Tuesday, as per a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, concluding one of the most significant online drug market prosecutions since Silk Road.
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Lin, a 24-year-old Taiwanese national known under the online alias “Pharaoh,” entered a guilty plea in December 2024 to charges of narcotics conspiracy, money laundering, and conspiring to distribute adulterated and misbranded medications. Prosecutors indicated that the platform processed over $105 million in illegal drug sales between October 2020 and March 2024, facilitating in excess of 640,000 transactions and serving hundreds of thousands of buyers around the world.
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“Rui-Siang Lin was one of the world’s most prolific drug traffickers, employing the internet to distribute more than $105 million worth of illegal drugs across this country and internationally,” stated U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “While Lin profited significantly, his actions had devastating implications. He is linked to at least one tragic death, and his activities worsened the opioid crisis, causing distress for over 470,000 narcotics users and their families."
Investigators ultimately traced the operation not only through blockchain analysis and undercover purchases but also due to operational security lapses.
As per the initial SDNY criminal complaint, investigators were able to connect the marketplace domain to Lin, as he had registered it using his real name, phone number, and address.
Taiwanese media indicates that Lin attended National Taiwan University prior to completing Taiwan’s civilian “alternative service,” a mandatory national service option outside the military, in St. Lucia, where he held a technical assistance position and at times instructed local police on cybercrime and cryptocurrency.
