Darkathon-2022

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is organising a “Darkathon-2022” to find solutions to counter drug trafficking through darknet.

• The agency recently smashed three groups of drug peddlers that were operating on the network that is accessed through encryption software which enables anonymity of users.

The ‘Darkathon’ is aimed at finding effective solutions to unravel the anonymity of darknet markets. According to the 2021 World Drug Report, about 74% of the darknet transactions or about 90% of darknet sales were drug related.

According to the NCB, the number of drug seizures from parcel or courier consignments increased by almost 250% in India after the outbreak of the pandemic and a good number of them are linked to drug trafficking through darknet markets.

The competitors will have to provide a “solution” based on crawling of darkweb to identify and catalogue darknet markets selling drugs with a mechanism to automatically add new markets and drop inactive ones, identify drug traffickers based in India and the drugs on sale and digital footprinting of active drug traffickers.

The participating individual or a team with a maximum of three members should provide their solution with a detailed PowerPoint presentation at the time of registration and a shortlist of 30 entries will be selected. The shortlisted participants will have to present their ideas before a jury at the Grand Finale.