The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) last week arrested 18 alleged drug dealers who used the internet to take orders for controlled substances and distributed them without prescription.
The arrests came as part of Operation CYBERx, which targeted over 22 rogue internet pharmacy stores.
“Operation CYBERx puts out of business alleged cyber criminals who were selling powerful narcotics without legitimate prescriptions to anyone with a computer and cash. These high-tech drug dealers were fuelling addictions by selling the very drugs intended to prevent and treat ailments – not inflict them,” said DEA Administrator Karen P Tandy.
Internet-based illegal pharmacies allow abusers to easily access pharmaceutical drugs from the comfort of their homes. Without a doctor’s visit, sometimes without a prescription, without consulting with a pharmacist, any drug abuser with enough cash could have almost any quantity of prescription drugs, with door-to-door delivery.
Each of those arrested owned and operated an “Internet Facilitation Centre” (IFC), alleges the DEA. The IFCs funnelled information from websites, took consumer orders and distributed prescriptions to pharmacies where they were filled and shipped to the customer.
According to the DEA, the alleged drug traffickers averaged more than $50,000 a day in profits.
Among those arrested were alleged ringleaders Johar Saran, of Arlington, Texas; Gaston Blanchet and Gil Lozano, of Miami, Florida; S Ted Solomon, of Orlando, Florida; and Steve Rosner, of Boca Raton, Florida.
Seven luxury cars, 2,400 cheques and money orders from individual customers, and several boxes of cash were also seized by investigators.
In addition to the search and arrest warrants, the DEA said that 20 doctors and 22 pharmacies nationwide who participated in the enterprise would be served an order that would immediately suspend their registrations.
