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.