New Delhi: As part of a joint operation between India and the US, authorities in the United States arrested an Indian national and seized over 500 shipments of ‘potentially dangerous’ drugs and medical equipment sent to the country in June this year. have done.
‘Operation Broader Sword’ was conducted by India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in collaboration with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DSA). (DEA), and the US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
This was a specialized bilateral multi-agency enforcement operation, targeting illegal pharmaceuticals, devices or precursor chemicals shipped using the international mail system, the US Embassy here said in a statement. statement Friday.
‘Operation Broader Sword’, a bilateral multi-agency enforcement operation, takes action and delivers results. collaboration between @US_FDA, @cbp, @HSI_HQ, @DEAHQAnd the Indian government’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence helps both American and Indian law enforcement officials…
– US Embassy India (@USAndIndia) 7 July 2023
Giving details, the statement said the operation prevented more than 500 shipments of “illegal, and potentially dangerous, unapproved prescription drugs, combination medical devices and synthetic drug precursors” from reaching US consumers.
The US FDA describes a combination medical device as a product containing two or more regulated components that are ‘physically, chemically, or otherwise combined or mixed and produced as a single unit.’
According to the statement, the agencies targeted packages entering the US from India through the New York (JFK) and Chicago (ORD) International Mail Facilities (IMF) from June 12-23 this year.
During the operation, enforcement agencies in the US checked over 1,500 shipments originating from India,”Taking action on nearly 500 products, including illegal and illegal drugs intended to treat or alleviate serious diseases.
“Multiple shipments were determined to contain opioids and other controlled substance drug products. In anticipation of the operation, HSI special agents conducted a controlled delivery of a shipment of suspect products, resulting in the arrest of an Indian national for illegal importation of illegal pharmaceuticals, including opioids and other controlled substances,” the statement said.
Mark Frederick, DEA attaché in New Delhi, said law enforcement and regulatory agencies in the US enjoy a “strong working relationship” with their Indian counterparts under the bilateral Counter-Narcotics Working Group. He said agencies from both countries “expanded that cooperation to work together under Operation Broader Sword”.
Frederick said the joint operation helped identify traffickers who either operate in India or seek to expand, and helped law enforcement strengthen protection against the flow of illegal drugs that could harm Indian citizens. can deliver.
‘Operation Broadsword’ based on the success of ‘Operation Broadsword’ – Held at the Chicago IMF in 2020 – during which enforcement agencies targeted mail parcels containing illegal medical products from India.
The operation, which saw the involvement of Indian government officials, in addition to seizing a shipment of illegal and potentially dangerous, unapproved prescription drugs and combination medical devices, provided clues to their origin.
(Editing by Amritansh Arora)