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The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on February 4 revealed the outcome of "Operation Meltdown," a large-scale crackdown that led to the seizure of more than 200 internet domains linked to illegal online pharmacies run by an India-based transnational criminal syndicate, according to Newsweek Editorial Director (Asia) Danish Manzoor Bhat.
Authorities said the network has been associated with at least six fatal and four non-fatal overdoses across the United States due to the circulation of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills. The probe, conducted by the DEA's Rocky Mountain Field Division, had been underway since 2022 and resulted in arrests, regulatory actions, and the dismantling of a sophisticated digital distribution network. Officials highlighted the growing danger posed by fake prescription drugs sold online and shipped directly to American consumers. Marketed as legitimate medicines, these tablets are often contaminated with fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid where even a single pill can prove deadly. "This operation strikes at the heart of the criminal networks poisoning our communities," the DEA said. While the statement focused on domestic enforcement, it also pointed to international cooperation, including collaboration with India. The agency said, "Leveraging its global reach, DEA actively collaborates with our Government of India law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and dismantle dangerous criminal organizations that engage in these types of illegal drug trafficking operations." US authorities noted that the fentanyl crisis continues to shift rapidly, with traffickers constantly adjusting routes, chemicals, financial channels, and sales strategies. Over time, the supply chain has evolved into a flexible global system, making overseas partnerships crucial to disrupting operations at early stages. Officials stressed that by the time fentanyl reaches homes in pill form, intervention becomes extremely difficult. The most effective disruptions occur earlier, before precursor chemicals are transformed, shipments reach clandestine labs, or counterfeit tablets appear on online platforms. Although overdose deaths dropped sharply in 2024 to a five-year low, federal health data still recorded nearly 80,000 fatalities, with synthetic opioids remaining the primary cause. As enforcement pressure increased, traffickers increasingly shifted from street sales to online platforms and international shipping routes. Preventing fentanyl from entering the US has proven far more challenging than targeting production and distribution upstream, elevating the importance of cooperation with countries positioned along the global chemical supply chain. The US Intelligence Community's Annual Threat Assessment in March 2025 stated, "China remains the primary source country for illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill pressing equipment, followed by India." US agencies have described India's enforcement landscape as increasingly coordinated and responsive. However, much of this cooperation receives limited public attention. India plays a major role in global pharmaceutical and chemical production, supplying a significant share of generic medicines to the US. While this trade is essential for healthcare and commerce, criminals have exploited gaps by diverting chemicals for illegal drug manufacturing. In response to Newsweek, the Home Ministry outlined its strategy to curb diversion. "The Modi government has a clearly chiseled-out strategy to pin down illicit diversion of drugs," the Home Ministry said. "Broadly, this strategy hinges on the convergence of the agencies that are mandated to eradicate the menace." The ministry explained that India's Central Drugs Standard Control Organization issues Export No Objection Certificates for legitimate drug consignments. It said, "Although the CDSCO is officially not a part of the NCORD (Narco Coordination Centre) mechanism, the NOC they issue makes it easier for the anti-narcotics agencies to distinguish illegal use of drugs from the illegal one. To put it simply, anyone who cannot produce this certificate for the consignment of drugs they possess is likely to be a drug trafficker." The Home Ministry added that law enforcement bodies coordinate through NCORD, stating, "Once the path for the investigation is clutter-free, all the anti-narcotics agencies from the apex level to the district level seamlessly share data and information and coordinate among themselves under the umbrella body NCORD, which is where they converge and arrive at the desired end of busting drug cartels." Newsweek reported that traffickers often exploit legal loopholes by selling precursor chemicals on business platforms using aliases or misspellings. When one substance is regulated, networks frequently pivot to alternative analogues, posing challenges for global control systems. The FBI told Newsweek, "Over the last six months, cooperation from Indian government agencies has grown significantly." The bureau added, "Once fentanyl precursors were raised as a priority, something Director Patel personally underscored in his engagements with senior Indian security officials, the government of India responded. Most recently the Indian prime minister called for a new counter-narcotics initiative among the Group of 20 countries to combat dangerous drugs like fentanyl. This shows that the government of India is tracking this issue at the highest levels." India remains a critical node in the global fentanyl supply chain, but US and Indian agencies continue to work jointly to dismantle trafficking operations before drugs reach American communities. (ANI)
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