Washington: The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has said it worked closely with Indian law enforcement agencies to track and dismantle illegal drug trafficking networks operating across borders.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the DEA said the collaboration with the Government of India helped identify and investigate criminal groups involved in illicit drug distribution. Acting along with the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the agency announced the takedown of more than 200 website domains linked to an India-based transnational criminal organisation (TCO) that operated within the United States.

According to the DEA, the organisation ran illegal online pharmacies and is suspected to be connected to at least six fatal overdoses and four non-fatal cases. The group has been under investigation by the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Field Division since 2022.
 

From January 27, 2026, DEA field offices across the US carried out coordinated operations that resulted in the arrest of four individuals. Authorities also issued five Immediate Suspension Orders (ISO) and one Order to Show Cause (OTSC), administrative measures used against DEA registrants to safeguard public health and safety.

Under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the DEA oversees the handling, storage and distribution of controlled medicines by pharmacies. The law allows such drugs to be dispensed only with a valid prescription issued for a legitimate medical purpose by a licensed practitioner acting in the usual course of professional practice.

Investigators found that the operators of the online pharmacies and their associates were illegally supplying and shipping diverted medicines without valid prescriptions to customers across the United States. Officials said this violated the CSA and compromised a tightly regulated distribution system designed to protect patients.

During the probe, the DEA identified thousands of customers who had purchased medicines through the illegal websites. The agency has since sent more than 20,000 letters to members of the public seeking information to support the continuing investigation.

ANI