Breaking: Founder of Incognito Market Arrested for Running Darknet Drug Bazaar
A Taiwanese national operating under the pseudonym “Pharoah” was arrested in New York for running Incognito Market, a darknet drug bazaar that transacted over $100 million in illegal narcotics.
Incognito Market Founder Arrested and Charged
Rui-Siang Lin, 23, was arrested on May 18 at John F. Kennedy Airport. Lin was responsible for all operations on Incognito Market, including managing vendors, employees, and customers. He profited millions of dollars during the platform’s four-year operation.
- Led FBI to identify the owner by tracking crypto transactions
- Facilitated trading of drugs like MDMA, LSD, and cocaine using Monero and Bitcoin
- Facing charges including money laundering, narcotics conspiracy, and more
Lin Faces Life Sentence
After an exit scam, Incognito Market shut down in March, with administrators extorting vendors to prevent data leaks. Despite this, Lin, a Monero enthusiast, conducted a cybercrime workshop. If convicted, he faces a life sentence, similar to the Silk Road’s founder, Ross Ulbricht.
- Potential mandatory life sentence for criminal enterprise charge
- Narcotics conspiracy charge may attract 10 years to life imprisonment
- Maximum combined sentence of 25 years for the charges