The e-traffickers used more than 200 websites to illicitly distribute pharmaceutical-controlled substances -- including narcotics, amphetamines and anabolic steroids -- directly to buyers of all ages without the medical examination by a physician required by US law.

The investigation targeted operators of rogue Internet pharmacies based in the United States, India, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean who distributed drugs world-wide.

Busts in 12 Cities over 48 Hours

The 20 arrests were carried out over a 48-hour period in eight US cities and four foreign countries. In the US, arrests occurred in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Ft. Lauderdale and Sarasota, Florida; Abilene and Tyler, Texas; New York, NY; Greenville, SC; and Rochester, New York. Other arrests were made in San Jose, Costa Rica; New Delhi, Agra, and Bombay, India.

US federal, state and local law enforcement authorities, as well as authorities in four foreign countries, participated in the investigation.

Operation Cyber Chase pursued major pharmaceutical drug traffickers who allegedly shipped Schedule II-V controlled substances, including narcotics, amphetamines and anabolic steroids, directly to buyers of all ages without the medical examination by a physician required by US law.

The e-traffickers used more than 200 websites to illicitly distribute pharmaceutical-controlled substances, according to DEA.

Internet Has Been 'Open Medicine Cabinet'

"For too long, the Internet has been an open medicine cabinet with cyber drug dealers illegally doling out a vast array of narcotics, amphetamines, and steroids," DEA Administrator Karen P. Tandy said. "In this first major international enforcement action against online rogue pharmacies and their sources of supply, we've logged these traffickers off the Internet."

Operation Cyber Chase began after the DEA Philadelphia Division identified a Philadelphia-based international Internet drug trafficking organization, allegedly headed by Indian nationals Brij Bhusan Bansal and Akhil Bansal. The Bansal Organization allegedly repackaged controlled substances smuggled into the United States from India and other countries and distributed them throughout the U.S. and the world.

Since July 2003, the Bansal Organization distributed approximately 2.5 million dosage units of Schedule II-V pharmaceutical controlled substances including Vicodin (hydrocodone), anabolic steroids and amphetamines, per month.

Traffickers Prey on Young People and Addicts

"Prescription drugs help millions of Americans every day. But their misuse is becoming a serious problem, abetted by drug traffickers who are using the Internet to attempt to subvert our medical prescription system," said John Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy.

"E-traffickers that target young people and those suffering from the disease of addiction are now the target of law enforcement action, while we continue to ensure proper access to needed medications," he added.

"Illegal pharmaceuticals pose a great risk to the health and welfare of the American public," said FBI Director Robert Mueller. "These drugs are being manufactured overseas in unregulated facilities, smuggled into the United States in an uncontrolled environment, and distributed without oversight of a licensed physician or pharmacist," he pointed out.

'Buyer Beware' Situation

"This investigation dismantled a major source of illicit pharmaceuticals that posed a significant public health threat," said Michael J. Garcia, Assistant Secretary, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "Closing down these illegal, Internet drug pipelines is essential to protecting consumers of pharmaceuticals," he stressed.

"Operation Cyber Chase sends an instant message to cybercriminals; that the Internet is not their safehouse," added Chief Postal Inspector Lee R. Heath. "Criminals, disguised as entrepreneurs, use the Internet to invade your home and push their poison."

"Consumers ordering prescription drugs from a website they're not familiar with put themselves in a "buyer beware" situation," warned John Taylor, Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs, Food and Drug Administration. "The medications may be coming from unknown sources, may not be stored or labeled properly, and may not meet quality assurance standards designed to produce safe and effective products. Many of the safeguards that exist for brick and mortar pharmacies do not exist for Internet Pharmacies, and the potential for harmful drug interactions is magnified," he explained.

Same Rules Apply Online

"Individuals and businesses utilizing the Internet to sell pharmaceuticals are bound by the same laws and regulations that apply to the corner drug store," said Nancy Jardini, Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation. "The link between where the money comes from, who gets it, when it is received, and where it is stored or deposited can provide evidence that a crime was committed. Finding and connecting those links is what IRS brings to this cooperative effort."

During January 2005, DEA launched a toll-free international hotline: 1-877-RxAbuse for the public to anonymously report the illegal sale and abuse of prescription drugs. The agency said it has received hundreds of tips already, including those about suspicious Internet pharmacies, and that the information assists in bringing drug dealers to justice.