Combating Rogue Internet Pharmacy Operations
Jim Kouri, CPP
October 15, 2005
One of the challenges for law enforcement in the 21st century is internet pharmaceutical drug traffickers operating in the United States. These online, legitimate looking and sounding pharmacies are peddling dangerous narcotics and other drugs, and in some cases counterfeit drugs that are ineffective for patients.
Many of these illegal internet pharmacies use spam e-mail to contact potential customers. A group of individuals involved may operate dozens of different websites with different medical-sounding names.
Recognizing that criminals are facilitating more drug-related crimes through the use of 21st century technology, the DEA, along with their law enforcement counterparts recently arrested 18 people for allegedly selling pharmaceutical drugs illegally over the Internet. Those arrested include the ringleaders of more than 4,600 rogue Internet pharmacy websites.
This DEA-led investigative effort is the first to target e-trafficking located solely within the United States. The alleged drug dealers who operated these rogue internet pharmacies received prescription orders for controlled substances over the Internet, which were then shipped to the doors of many US citizens -- sometimes without any prescription needed. These alleged criminal pharmaceutical drug traffickers averaged more than $50,000 a day in profits from their illegal Internet based enterprise.
Those arrested included Johar Saran, of Arlington, TX; Gaston Blanchet and Gil Lozano, of Miami, FL; Ted Solomon, of Orlando, FL; and Steve Rosner, of Boca Raton, FL. These individuals are the alleged ringleaders of this multimillion dollar drug distribution network.
Operation CYBERx is part of the DEA’s “Virtual Enforcement Initiative (VEI).” This new DEA cyber initiative acknowledges that criminals in the drug trade are embracing the use of state-or-the-art technology to peddle their narcotics and dangerous drugs into US communities, all with an air of respectability.
DEA Administrator Karen P. Tandy said, “Operation CYBERx puts out of business alleged cyber criminals who [are] selling powerful narcotics without legitimate prescriptions to anyone with a computer and cash. These high-tech drug dealers were fueling addictions by selling the very drugs intended to prevent and treat ailments—not inflict them. Just as important, this Operation makes more Americans aware that buying prescription drugs from these rogue websites is illegal and dangerous.”
E-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. With DEA-led efforts under the VEI, e-traffickers will find difficulty in luring our nations youth to their on-line pharmacies for easy access to drugs.
The VEI concept was realized last April when DEA led Operation “Cyber Chase,” which resulted in more than 20 arrests in eight US cities and four foreign countries; shutting down an organization that ran over 200 web sites illegally selling what were identified as pharmaceutical drugs. This year-long OCDETF investigation targeted international Internet pharmaceutical traffickers operating in the United States, India, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. These e-traffickers also distributed drugs world-wide using rogue Internet pharmacies.
In addition to the 18 individuals arrested as part of Operation CYBERx, seven luxury cars, 2,400 checks and money orders from individual customers, and several boxes of cash were seized.
Many of these illegal internet pharmacies use spam e-mail to contact potential customers. A group of individuals involved may operate dozens of different websites with different medical-sounding names.
Recognizing that criminals are facilitating more drug-related crimes through the use of 21st century technology, the DEA, along with their law enforcement counterparts recently arrested 18 people for allegedly selling pharmaceutical drugs illegally over the Internet. Those arrested include the ringleaders of more than 4,600 rogue Internet pharmacy websites.
This DEA-led investigative effort is the first to target e-trafficking located solely within the United States. The alleged drug dealers who operated these rogue internet pharmacies received prescription orders for controlled substances over the Internet, which were then shipped to the doors of many US citizens -- sometimes without any prescription needed. These alleged criminal pharmaceutical drug traffickers averaged more than $50,000 a day in profits from their illegal Internet based enterprise.
Those arrested included Johar Saran, of Arlington, TX; Gaston Blanchet and Gil Lozano, of Miami, FL; Ted Solomon, of Orlando, FL; and Steve Rosner, of Boca Raton, FL. These individuals are the alleged ringleaders of this multimillion dollar drug distribution network.
Operation CYBERx is part of the DEA’s “Virtual Enforcement Initiative (VEI).” This new DEA cyber initiative acknowledges that criminals in the drug trade are embracing the use of state-or-the-art technology to peddle their narcotics and dangerous drugs into US communities, all with an air of respectability.
DEA Administrator Karen P. Tandy said, “Operation CYBERx puts out of business alleged cyber criminals who [are] selling powerful narcotics without legitimate prescriptions to anyone with a computer and cash. These high-tech drug dealers were fueling addictions by selling the very drugs intended to prevent and treat ailments—not inflict them. Just as important, this Operation makes more Americans aware that buying prescription drugs from these rogue websites is illegal and dangerous.”
E-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. With DEA-led efforts under the VEI, e-traffickers will find difficulty in luring our nations youth to their on-line pharmacies for easy access to drugs.
The VEI concept was realized last April when DEA led Operation “Cyber Chase,” which resulted in more than 20 arrests in eight US cities and four foreign countries; shutting down an organization that ran over 200 web sites illegally selling what were identified as pharmaceutical drugs. This year-long OCDETF investigation targeted international Internet pharmaceutical traffickers operating in the United States, India, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. These e-traffickers also distributed drugs world-wide using rogue Internet pharmacies.
In addition to the 18 individuals arrested as part of Operation CYBERx, seven luxury cars, 2,400 checks and money orders from individual customers, and several boxes of cash were seized.
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