A 23-year-old Taiwan national, Zhui-Ssyan Lin, recently made an appearance before a federal court on charges related to his alleged involvement in organizing and managing the Incognito Market, one of the largest illegal narcotics marketplaces. Lin was apprehended on May 17 at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. According to data released by the Ministry of Justice of the United States, Lin wielded absolute power over all aspects of the multimillion-dollar operation, controlling over a thousand drug sellers, more than 200,000 buyers, and at least one employee assisting in site management.
Following investigations conducted in July 2022 and August 2023, law enforcement agencies executed searches on three servers utilized for the market’s operations. These searches uncovered dozens of databases containing information on 1,312 sellers’ accounts, 255,519 buyers’ accounts, and 224,791 transactions. Analysis of transaction data revealed a steady increase in sales volumes over time, with Incognito Market accumulating over $83.6 million in income since its establishment in 2020. Lin purportedly earned a minimum of $4 million through a 5% commission on transactions.
In a surprising turn of events in March 2024, Lin, known by the alias “Pharoah” or “Faro,” abruptly shut down Incognito Market, refusing to refund funds to sellers and customers. Additionally, Lin threatened to expose the transaction history of all users unless they paid an additional fee ranging from $100 to $20,000. This deceptive tactic, termed an Exit Scam, is a common scheme employed in such illicit activities.
If found guilty, Lin could potentially face life imprisonment for engaging in ongoing criminal activity. He may also be subjected to a life sentence for conspiracy to distribute drugs, up to 20 years in prison for money laundering, and a maximum of 5 years for conspiring to sell counterfeit and improperly labeled medicines.