Ahmedabad / Gandhinagar: Gujarat Police have exposed one of the most organized international cyber-trafficking networks in South and Southeast Asia, centered on 29-year-old Nilesh Purohit, also known as Neel or “The Ghost.” Purohit is accused of orchestrating a transnational pipeline that lured job seekers and forced them into cyber-fraud camps abroad.

The operation reportedly affected over 500 victims in under two years, spanning India, Pakistan, China, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Airport Arrest Prevents Escape

On November 16, 2025, Gujarat Police intercepted Purohit at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad as he attempted to flee to Malaysia. Officials say that even a few minutes’ delay could have allowed him to evade capture, earning him the moniker “The Ghost.”

Purohit faces five FIRs across Gujarat, Maharashtra, and West Bengal, with charges including human trafficking, cheating, and cybercrime. He has been remanded to Sabarmati Central Jail, and the CBI has opened investigations into his role in multiple international cyber-slavery cases.

Building a Transnational Cyber Empire

Investigators say Purohit’s criminal network expanded rapidly after moving to Dubai in early 2024, where he gained exposure to cyber-crime operations and forged links with Pakistani and Chinese agents. He later traveled to Thailand and Myanmar, operating in hubs like KK Park in Myawaddy Township, known for coercing trafficked workers into online scams.

The Recruitment Model: Recruit, Funnel, Coerce

Purohit reportedly ran a sub-agent network of 126 operatives across India, with connections to over 30 Pakistani agents and 100+ foreign companies. Victims were recruited with promises of legitimate jobs abroad and transported via a route: Bangkok → Tak (Thailand) → jungle trek → Moei/Thaungyin River → Myawaddy, Myanmar.

Victims were primarily sourced through WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, and Instagram, often reinforced by word-of-mouth in smaller towns.

Financial Mechanics: High Earnings and Crypto Transfers

For each victim trafficked, Purohit allegedly earned ₹1.76 lakh to ₹3.96 lakh, using mule bank accounts and multiple cryptocurrency wallets (including Binance) to obscure the financial trail. These transfers corresponded with increased recruitment activity from October 2024 onward.

Inside KK Park: Contracts, Coercion, and Cyber-Fraud Operations

At the camps, victims were forced to sign two-year contracts with early-exit penalties of ₹3.5–₹5 lakh. Those resisting faced physical and psychological abuse. Tasks included phishing, crypto scams, Ponzi schemes, investment fraud, and romance scams, targeting individuals worldwide.

Several victims remain too traumatized to report incidents, prompting authorities to file FIRs on behalf of the State in some cases.

Breaking the Chain: Sub-Agents Lead to Purohit

Intelligence gathered in November led to arrests of sub-agents Hitesh Arjan Somaiya (Porbandar) and Sonal Faldu (Junagadh), both of whom identified Purohit as their handler. At least 22 youths from Gujarat have been linked directly to his trafficking operations, with investigations ongoing in other states.

Repatriations and Regional Efforts

Coordinated operations between India, Thailand, and Myanmar have facilitated the repatriation of over 4,000 Indian citizens from scam camps. Myanmar authorities, under international pressure, have conducted repeated crackdowns, though many trafficked individuals fled during raids.

Policy and Enforcement Challenges Ahead

The case highlights the growing complexity of borderless cybercrime, social-media-based recruitment, and crypto-monetized human trafficking. Authorities emphasize the need for cross-border cooperation to dismantle both the supply and demand sides of these networks.

A senior officer remarked:
“This isn’t just cybercrime; it is the most predatory face of modern human trafficking, powered by the internet and monetized through crypto.”

BROOKLINE, Mass. — For 75-year-old Miguel Laboy, cannabis has been part of his daily routine for years. Each morning begins with a joint alongside his coffee, a habit he struggles to break despite occasional attempts.

“I’d like to wake up one day and not smoke,” Laboy said from his apartment in Brookline, Massachusetts. “But you see how that’s going.”

As cannabis legalization and commercialization have expanded across the United States, daily marijuana use has become increasingly common, often unnoticed by users themselves. The market is now dominated by high-potency products, including vape oils and concentrates, which can reach THC levels of 80% to 95%. Experts warn that these products may blur the line between therapeutic use and dependence.

Recent data indicate a major shift in American substance use patterns. While alcohol remains widely consumed, the number of daily cannabis users in the U.S. surpassed daily drinkers in 2022, reflecting changing habits and the growing popularity of potent cannabis products.

Medical professionals caution that regular use of high-THC products can contribute to memory issues, sleep disturbances, increased anxiety or depression, and even addiction. Cannabis use disorder is often underrecognized, in part due to the widespread belief that marijuana is non-addictive.

For Laboy, the effects of long-term use have become more apparent. A retired chef, he sought help from a substance-use counselor after noticing escalating depression, isolation, and compulsive marijuana and alcohol use. While naltrexone helped him quit alcohol, he has not found an effective way to reduce his cannabis consumption. Unlike alcohol or opioids, there is no FDA-approved treatment for cannabis dependence, though research is ongoing.

Laboy’s use, which began in his late teens, initially provided relief for undiagnosed ADHD, childhood trauma, and the stress of life events, including cancer treatment and the death of his son. For decades, he considered himself a “functional pothead,” balancing his cannabis use with a demanding career in restaurant kitchens. However, retirement and the availability of high-potency vape cartridges have intensified his consumption, highlighting the potential risks of habitual cannabis use in older adults.

The story underscores broader concerns about rising daily cannabis use nationwide and the need for increased public awareness, education, and accessible treatment options for those struggling with dependency.

Should Florida officials charge more for cannabis license application and renewal fees?

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told a group of reporters on August 23 that medical cannabis license holders in the state need to pay more for their license application and renewal fees. But operators in the state say that raising application and renewal fees could spell the end for some struggling businesses.

State officials “should charge these people more,” DeSantis said.

“I mean, these are very valuable licenses,” the governor continued. “I would charge them an arm and a leg. I mean, everybody wants these licenses.”

CBS News Miami reports that whether or not the governor was referring to existing license holders or future license holders remains to be seen.

But Florida’s license and renewal rates already exceed fees seen in other states. That could be because Florida’s licensing system requires operators to cultivate, process and sell marijuana and derivative products without limiting the number of retail locations, and lawyers say this makes the state’s licenses more valuable.

After stepping into his role as governor in January 2019, one of DeSantis’ primary promises is to provide a boost to Florida’s economy.

Gov. DeSantis pushed to repeal Florida’s ban on smokable flower. Voters in Florida passed a constitutional amendment legalizing medical cannabis in 2016, but regulations that ban smokable cannabis were passed by the legislature and signed into law by former Gov. Rick Scott.

Cannabis advocates sued, claiming the ban violated the amendment passed by voters. A state court agreed and declared the rule invalid, but it remained in place as an appeal from Scott’s administration made its way through the courts. However, when Gov. DeSantis took office, he said if the ban was not repealed his administration would abandon the appeal of the court ruling.

The ban on smokable cannabis was officially repealed on March 18, with Gov. Ron DeSantis signing a compromise bill that was passed by legislators. Smokable flower is, unsurprisingly, by far the most popular menu item at Florida’s over 460 medical cannabis dispensaries.

An earlier 2014 allowed low-THC products for certain patients. Then, medical cannabis companies part of an initial group of applicants in 2015 paid over $60,000 in order to be able to sell low-THC cannabis.

Then Florida’s 2016 constitutional amendment established more of what is thought of as a mature medical cannabis market with a variety of approved products.

Florida law requires legislative approval of rules if cost of compliance for those businesses exceeds $200,000 in one year or $1 million over the course of five years.

Jacking up application and renewal fees “would be unfortunate,” Brady Cobb, a lawyer and founder and CEO of Green Sentry told CBS News. “If it happens, it happens,” said Cobb. Cobb added that Florida could make more money by taxing cannabis products or allowing operators to wholesale products to each other and taxing those sales instead.

Black Farmer License Fees Also Too High in Florida

The state charged a higher fee in a recent round of applications for a license set aside in Florida’s 2017 law for a Black cannabis farmer. Under rules laid out by the Department of Health, applicants had to pay a $146,000 fee to compete for the Black farmer license which was over twice the fee from the application process in 2015.

“Black farmers are required to shell out $146,000 merely to apply for a license to grow medical marijuana,” the Miami New Times reports.

Last year, Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried called the high fees for the Black farmer license “discriminatory.”

The department accepted a dozen applications for the Black farmer license, but has not announced the winner of the license. A new round of license applications will launch again after the Black farmer license is issued, but the state hasn’t laid out a timeline. At least 150 applicants are expected to apply.

Source: https://hightimes.com/news/florida-gov-desantis-to-pot-licensees-charge-these-people-more/