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US seizes over 200 website domains linked to India-based illegal drug syndicate
Investigators found that those running these online pharmacies were illegally supplying and sending diverted medicines to customers across the United States.
More than 200 website domains are linked to an India-based transnational criminal organisation (TCO), which was operating in the United States and is alleged to be behind at least six fatal and four non-fatal overdoses, have been seized, the country's drug enforcement administration (DEA) said in a statement on Wednesday.
Four people have been arrested while five Immediate Suspension Orders (ISO) and one Order to Show Cause (OTSC) have also been issued.
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‘Operation Meltdown’: DEA takes down online illegal pharmacies
The action has been dubbed ‘Operation Meltdown’ by the DEA which observed that the shut-down websites presented themselves as genuine, claimed to be based in the US, and said they were FDA-approved.
However, the investigation found that those running the sites were often linked to drug traffickers and were meeting online orders by supplying counterfeit pills or diverted pharmaceutical drugs.
The drugs were sold without valid prescriptions and were pushed into a regulated distribution system meant to protect patient safety, the DEA said.
During the course of the probe, the DEA identified thousands of customers who had bought medicines through these online pharmacies.
“DEA has sent more than 20,000 letters to the public requesting information in support of this ongoing investigation,” it said in the release.
The DEA also said it works closely with its law enforcement partners in the Government of India to identify, probe and dismantle dangerous criminal groups involved in such illegal drug trafficking activities.
In the press release, DEA administrator Terrance Cole was quoted as saying, “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.”
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Illegal online pharmacies in the US
The agency said it released a public service announcement in 2024 to alert Americans about a rise in illegal online pharmacies.
It said many of these websites sold and delivered fake pills containing fentanyl to customers across the US. Buyers believed they were ordering genuine medicines from authorised pharmacies.
The agency added that illegal online pharmacies often use US-based website addresses and “professional-looking designs” to look trustworthy. However, they operate outside the law and “deliberately deceive American customers into believing they are legally purchasing safe, regulated medications”.
