Darknet Drug Trafficker Known as ‘Pharaoh’ Arrested in New York for Allegedly Enabling $100 Million in Cryptocurrency Transactions

Taiwanese national and dark web drug trafficker Rui-Siang Lin, known as ‘Pharaoh’, who reportedly generated over $100 million through cryptocurrency transactions involving illegal drugs, has been apprehended by U.S. law enforcement.

Lin operated under the alias “Pharoah” while managing the online “Incognito Market” for nearly four years and was taken into custody at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport on Saturday. According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Lin allegedly distributed illegal narcotics, including the potent opioid fentanyl, to clients worldwide.

In order to successfully apprehend Lin, U.S. authorities collaborated with the FBI and the El Dorado Task Force’s Darkweb and Cryptocurrency Task Force, employing advanced techniques aimed at sophisticated criminals.

Charges Against the Pharoah

As stated, Lin faces one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life imprisonment. He is also charged with one count of narcotics conspiracy, which has a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum potential sentence of life imprisonment.

Additionally, he faces one count of money laundering, which could result in a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to sell adulterated and misbranded medication, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison.

“As alleged, Rui-Siang Lin ran a complex and hazardous online narcotics marketplace through which he earned millions of dollars at the expense of the community,” stated U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in the press release.

“The committed 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 hidden areas of the internet. The so-called ‘dark web’ is not a sanctuary for those who aim to violate the law,” Williams added.

Incognito Market Operated for Four Years

‘Pharaoh’ is accused of managing the Incognito Market, which the FBI characterizes as “one of the largest online platforms for narcotics sales” for nearly four years. The platform facilitated $100 million in illegal narcotics transactions and generated millions in personal profits.

Each listing on the Incognito Market was sold by a specific vendor who paid a 5% fee from every transaction to ‘Pharaoh’. This fee supported the operations of Incognito Market, including employee salaries and server costs.

To enable transactions, Incognito Market maintained its own banking system, allowing users to deposit cryptocurrencies into their own “bank accounts” on the site. After a narcotics transaction was finalized, cryptocurrency from the buyer’s account was transferred to the seller’s account, minus the 5% fee collected by Incognito, according to U.S. authorities.

“Under the guise of anonymity, Lin’s alleged operation provided access to lethal drugs and counterfeit prescription medications on a global scale. The FBI is dedicated to targeting and dismantling all criminal enterprises, particularly those whose leaders distribute illegal substances on the dark web,” remarked FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith.

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