2 Convicted in Global Internet Drug Ring (4/18/06)

[Richard_smoker]

2 Convicted in Global Internet Drug Ring
Associated Press 04.18.2006, 12:26 AM

A federal jury on Monday convicted two men who allegedly used the Internet to illegally peddle drugs worldwide to tens of thousands of people.

The jury deliberated a day following a seven-week trial before convicting Akhil Bansal and Fred Mullinix on all counts.

Prosecutors said that Bansal, a Temple University graduate student, and his physician father, Brij Bhushan Bansal, currently in custody in India, headed the network.

Orders were filled for millions of pills placed by more than 4,500 buyers through at least 20 Web sites, one of which was operated by Mullinix, officials said.

"This case shows us how the Internet has opened the door to an unregulated universe from which anyone with access to a computer can purchase just about anything," U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan said. "It's a dangerous way to bypass the safeguards that are in place to protect the public."

Mullinix's attorney, Steven Laver, said he planned to appeal. Akhil Bansal's attorney, Richard R. Harris, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Seventeen people, including Brij Bansal and three of his children, were charged last April with selling prescription drugs to American buyers through online pharmacy sites and with laundering millions of dollars in proceeds.

Three other defendants are awaiting trial, and the others have either pleaded guilty or are awaiting extradition from Australia or India, Meehan said.

Authorities said the Bansals allegedly obtained the drugs in India and sent them to the United States, where they were redistributed.

Drugs meant to aid sexual dysfunction were among the most popular in the scheme, Meehan has said.

I know that many, if not MOST of the members of this site are not here to discuss OP (online pharmacies), but there are TONS of other sites whose sole purpose is to disseminate such information. I, personally, have read of many of these Indian websites which sell their prescription drugs online--many of which are Indian 'knock-offs' of patented US drugs, e.g. Viagra.

The laws in India are very different than the US in terms of patenting drugs. Apparently, it's ok to sell patented drugs made by renegade drug companies, as LONG as the drug companies do NOT copy the actual patented process to manufacture their drugs. So, if you live in India, you can legally manufacture and distribute drugs that are still under patent in the USA (i.e. VIAGRA).

It was well-known that many of these so-called IOP's (international online pharmacies), were actually mailing their products from WITHIN the US.

I had a funny feeling that the FDA and Phizer wouldn't allow THAT to continue for very long!
-Dick