- Three UK men have been imprisoned for running a dark web drug business that used cryptocurrency to stay under the radar.
- The brains of the outfit, Malcolm Magala, was the one selling heroin and crack cocaine online, while his accomplices sorted and sent packages to their customers.
- Together, they got nearly 30 years in prison, showing that with law enforcement, the dark web is no longer a place to hide – they’ve got eyes on every corner.
UK courts have brought down a major dark web drug ring, sentencing three men Jerome Omard, Malcolm Magala, and Alain Kirunda-Nsiiro, to a combined total of 27 years in prison.
The ROCU Network spilled the beans on their sentencing in a statement on October 13. The trio had reportedly operated under the radar for some time, running a large-scale dark web operation selling Class A drugs. They used cryptocurrency to take the payment and the postal service to sneak the goods past the authorities.
The Dark Web Narcotics Ring Brought to Light
UK authorities have dismantled a sophisticated drug operation that was hiding in plain sight on the dark web. The trio sold Class A drugs on the dark web and shipped them nationwide via Royal Mail. The idea was to make it look like you could order dodgy drugs as easily as a takeaway – not exactly the safest idea you’ll ever come across.
Malcolm Magala was the one putting the operation out there – creating a fake persona to sell the goods on the dark web. He was touting heroin and crack cocaine to his customers, who just clicked a few buttons to get their fix.
But how did these guys manage to get caught? It all started with following the digital money trial, as usual. The South East Regional Organized Crime Unit traced Magala’s online activity and uncovered his real identity.
The other key part of their operation was the man who handled the money side of things. Alain Kirunda-Nsiiro was the crypto-guy, sorting out the payments that customers made with the digital cash. When police caught them, they found £3,150 worth of cryptocurrency hidden in high-end hardware.
Detective Inspector Rob Bryant from the police’s cyber team said, “I hope that this shows criminals that their activities on the dark web are detectable”. He added that law enforcement actively monitors such behavior before they make arrests.
The Sentences
The three mates got really serious sentences at Reading Crown Court this week, matching the seriousness of class A drugs.
Malcolm Magala, who pleaded guilty to drug and property charges, got 11 years. Jerome Omard, who also pleaded guilty, got 4 years.
Alain Kirunda-Nsiiro chose not to plead guilty. In August, he was convicted after a two-week trial and received the longest sentence—12 years. Combined sentence for all three is 27 years in jail.
Related News: £1.3M in Crypto Seized in Major Crackdown on Digital Drug Networks
This is not an isolated incident – it’s part of a big national crackdown. The UK authorities are targeting drug dealers operating online, proving the dark web is not a safe harbor for crime.
Last month, a court sentenced Ryan Coleman from Devon to 15 years in prison. He sold 80kg of class A and B drugs for 6 years under the name “Snowcap” on the dark web.
Coleman had £1.3 million in cryptocurrency and over £2.4 million of Bitcoin in his wallets.
The police will be enforcing the Proceeds of Crime Act to take his money. Fifty per cent of the confiscation goes to the Treasury and the other fifty per cent is through the police. This demonstrates the police directly hitting criminals the hardest, where it hurts – their wallet.
