US shuts down 200 illegal online pharmacies

Washington, Feb 5: US drug agents have shut down more than 200 illegal online pharmacy websites linked to an India-based criminal network blamed for deadly overdoses in the United States.

The Drug Enforcement Administration said Wednesday the websites were tied to a transnational criminal organisation that allegedly caused at least six fatal and four non-fatal overdoses. The group has been under investigation since 2022.

Starting January 27, DEA field offices across the country launched coordinated operations in which four people were arrested, a media release said.

Authorities also issued five Immediate Suspension Orders and one Order to Show Cause against DEA registrants. These are administrative steps used to protect public health and safety, it said.

Federal authorities said the government also shut down more than 200 online pharmacies accused of filling hundreds of thousands of orders for diverted pharmaceuticals and counterfeit pills. The drugs were sold without valid prescriptions.

Under US law, pharmacies may dispense controlled substances only with a valid prescription. The prescription must be issued for a legitimate medical purpose by a licensed practitioner.

Investigators alleged the operators of the websites ignored those rules. They illegally dispensed and shipped controlled drugs to customers across the United States. The DEA said the scheme violated the Controlled Substances Act and weakened safeguards meant to keep patients safe.

Over the course of the investigation, agents identified thousands of customers who bought drugs from the illegal sites. The DEA said it has sent more than 20,000 letters to members of the public seeking information to support the ongoing case.

“This case demonstrates how foreign-based traffickers exploit our healthcare system, hide behind the internet, and use people inside the United States to move dangerous drugs under the guise of legitimate commerce,” DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said.

“Illegal online pharmacies put poison in American communities,” Cole said. “They sell counterfeit and unapproved pills and do not care who gets hurt or who dies.”

The DEA said it is working with law enforcement partners from the Government of India to identify and dismantle criminal organisations involved in illegal pharmaceutical trafficking.

The agency said joint operations will continue to target illicit drug distributors at the source.

The DEA said operators frequently worked with drug traffickers to fill online orders using counterfeit pills or diverted pharmaceuticals. Many of the counterfeit pills were made with fentanyl or methamphetamine, the agency said.

Taking them can cause serious side effects, ineffective treatment and death.