Criminals set up fake online pharmacies to sell deadly counterfeit pills, prosecutors say

Associated Press

Federal prosecutors say a network of illegal drug sellers packaged potentially deadly synthetic opioids into pills disguised as common prescription drugs and sold millions of them through fake online drugstores. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Monday that at least nine people died of narcotics poisoning between August 2023 and June 2024 after consuming the counterfeit pills. Williams’ office unsealed an indictment charging 18 people with crimes including participating in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death. Authorities said the fake pills were manufactured in New York using fentanyl smuggled from Mexico.