US shuts down 200 illegal online pharmacies

US drug enforcement authorities have shut down more than 200 illegal online pharmacy websites linked to an India-based criminal network accused of fuelling deadly overdoses across the United States, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said on Wednesday.

The agency said the websites were operated by a transnational criminal organisation under investigation since 2022 and were allegedly connected to at least six fatal and four non-fatal overdoses in the US.

Beginning 27 January, DEA field offices nationwide launched coordinated enforcement actions that led to the arrest of four individuals. Authorities also issued five Immediate Suspension Orders and one Order to Show Cause against DEA registrants — administrative measures aimed at protecting public health and safety.

Federal officials said the operation dismantled more than 200 online pharmacies accused of processing hundreds of thousands of orders for diverted prescription drugs and counterfeit pills, many of which were sold without valid prescriptions.

Under US law, controlled substances may be dispensed only with a legitimate prescription issued by a licensed medical practitioner. Investigators allege the operators routinely flouted these rules, illegally dispensing and shipping controlled drugs to customers across the country in violation of the Controlled Substances Act.

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

“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 into American communities,” Cole added. “They sell counterfeit and unapproved pills and do not care who gets hurt or who dies.”

The DEA said many of the counterfeit pills sold through the websites were laced with fentanyl or methamphetamine, significantly increasing the risk of overdose, severe side effects and death.

US authorities said they are working closely with law enforcement agencies in India to identify and dismantle criminal networks involved in illegal pharmaceutical trafficking, adding that joint operations will continue to target drug distributors at the source.

With IANS inputs