Illegal online pharmacies exposed in India–US Drug trafficking crackdown; four arrested already

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said that it has cooperated with law enforcement agencies in India to stop an illegal drug trafficking network operating across borders.

The India-based website operated online pharmacies and was distributing medicines to customers without any legal prescriptions or any medical authorisation, putting the lives of individuals at risk.

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The DEA mentioned that the investigation was conducted with the support of the Indian government and the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

During the investigation, more than 200 online pharmacy websites were seized. The websites operated by the India-based transnational criminal organisation used their platform for distributing medicines illegally to the residents of the United States.

The DEA also reported that the drug distribution network operated by the organisation is allegedly responsible for six fatalities and four non-fatal overdose incidents.

The DEA’s Rocky Mountain Field Division investigated the organisation in 2022 after tracking the misleading activities by the organisation, ANI reported.

DEA offices throughout the United States conducted multiple operations from January 27, 2026 and four suspects were arrested during that time.

The DEA executed five Immediate Suspension Orders (ISO) and one Order to Show Cause (OTSC) against the suspects. The DEA decides to conduct these actions against illegal pharmacies and their operators when it detects that the operations pose significant hazards to public health.

The DEA regulates all aspects of controlled medication, which includes its storage procedures, handling methods and distribution practices according to US legislation.

The pharmacies need to obtain a valid prescription from an authorised medical practitioner before they can dispense these medications.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) discovered during its investigation that thousands of individuals purchased medications from unlawful online pharmacies that operated as part of the drug trafficking network.

The DEA then distributed more than 20,000 letters to the public, requesting people to be assured of the ongoing illegal case and requesting details about their experiences with purchasing items through illegal means.

The DEA confirmed that the investigation was conducted with assistance from both the Government of India and the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

The DEA maintains control over pharmacies to enforce the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which governs their procedures for handling, storing and distributing controlled substances.

The CSA mandates pharmacies to distribute controlled substances only after they obtain a valid prescription, which a licensed medical professional has issued for a treatment that requires prescription medication.

The investigators found that online pharmacy operators and their accomplices were illegally selling and distributing diverted medications to customers across the United States without proper prescriptions, which created a dangerous breach of a secure distribution system designed to protect patient safety.

The DEA reported that this operation demonstrates how essential international collaboration remains for disrupting drug trafficking operations that span multiple nations while using internet-based platforms.

The case demonstrates how online drug sales create significant risks that require countries to establish effective international partnerships for their protection.

With inputs from the agency.