People who knew a Taiwanese man who was arrested in the US on Sunday on suspicion of creating drug trafficking Web sites said that they were surprised at the news that the “genius” had gotten caught up in the illegal drugs trade.
The US Department of Justice and the FBI said that they arrested Lin Rui-siang (林睿庠), 23, the alleged creator of Incognito Market, an online selling site.
Friends of Lin described him as a “genius” in computer and digital technologies, and lamented his apparent involvement in the illegal drugs trade.
Photo courtesy of the US Department of Justice’s Office of Public Affairs
Lin was arrested while transiting through John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, with US authorities identifying him as “Pharoah,” the alleged owner and operator of the largest online narcotics e-commerce platform, which lists heroin, cocaine, LSD, MDMA, oxycodone, methamphetamines, ketamine and alprazolam for sale.
Chinese-language media reported that Lin was a talented student, winning medals at the Asia International Mathematical Olympiad while at Taipei Fuhsing Private School before graduating with a degree in information management at National Taiwan University.
A former classmate of Lin’s said on condition of anonymity that Lin is a “genius” in many ways, having taught himself computer and digital technologies.
When he was a high-school student, Lin set up his own Web sites, the classmate told CTS Television.
He has good English-language ability, getting high marks in the Test of English for International Communication, had an internship at a financial firm, was a certified blockchain professional and had cybersecurity certification from Google Inc, the classmate said.
A man who said he was a friend of Lin’s for many years could not believe that Lin had been arrested.
“We all knew him as an outstanding talent in mathematics and English,” he said. “He would help friends whenever they would ask... Lin was a good friend to us, so it was shocking to hear the news of his arrest.
“We had no inkling that he had a tendency to engage in criminal activities,” the friend said.
Lin has an extensive social media presence, having written articles on cryptocurrency investment and use of blockchain.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said that Lin had been sent to Saint Lucia for his substitute military service, where last month he conducted a four-day training course called “Cybercrime and Cybercurrency” for police officers.
The US Department of Justice said that Incognito Market had more than US$100 million in transactions since it started in 2020.
If convicted, Lin would face a mandatory minimum penalty of life in prison for engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, a maximum penalty of life in prison for narcotics conspiracy, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for money laundering and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to sell adulterated and misbranded medication, it said.
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