Taiwanese 'Pharaoh' Arrested for Running Darknet Drug Marketplace Incognito
Taiwanese national Rui-Siang Lin, also known as 'Pharaoh', has been arrested by US authorities for his role in running the notorious darknet marketplace 'Incognito'. Lin, who worked as an IT specialist at the St. Lucia embassy in Taipei, faces potential life sentence for drug and cybercrime-related offenses.
Incognito, which operated from late 2020 until its shutdown in March 2024, facilitated the sale of around $100 million worth of drugs. At its peak, the marketplace saw monthly trading volumes of $5 million. Lin, operating under the alias 'Pharaoh', led the platform, requiring users to pass an OPSEC quiz and demonstrate proficiency with PGP encryption protocol to ensure security.
The FBI traced Lin's activities through a Bitcoin wallet linked to him. Lin also founded the web service Antinalysis, a tool for on-chain transaction analysis, and was certified by blockchain analytics company Chainalysis in 2023. Following the shutdown of Incognito, Lin attempted to blackmail users for $20,000 each.
Lin was arrested at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York and faces severe consequences for his involvement in Incognito. His dual life as an embassy IT specialist and a darknet marketplace operator has come to an end, highlighting the evolving nature of cybercrime and the international cooperation required to combat it.
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