In response to a U.S. warrant, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested 32-year-old Arden McCann for illegally selling alprazolam (Xanax) and heroin worth $13 million to U.S. consumers via Alphabay, Agora, and Empire Market.
Much of the details that linked McCann with the darkweb seller accounts as well as charges in the U.S. came from the seized Alphabay servers as well as from a source in the U.S.Details from the informant came first; U.S. customs officials arrested a 21-year-old man for bringing in about 82 kilograms of fake Xanax pills
The drug trafficker pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to one year in jail. Drug Enforcement Administration agents later met a person identified as one of McCann’s co-conspirators in the drug trafficking case. The source told the DEA that McCaan was being trafficked by the 21-year-old.
According to court records, McCaan purchased bulk amounts of alprazolam and fentanyl from China and refined the drugs in Canada before shipping its goods to US customers. McCaan had the co-conspirators shifting the weight from Canada to the USA.
The United States authorities have asked law enforcement in Canada to arrest and detain McCann through the extradition proceedings, noting the possible flight risk of McCann. The U.S. has already frozen McCaan’s accounts for cyptocurrency purchases but is not sure whether the 32-year-old still has money outside the traditional banking system; the RCMP investigation is still ongoing.