BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) _ Thai and U.S. authorities are pursuing legal cases against operators of three Internet pharmacies operating from Thailand who were arrested for illegally exporting prescription drugs to the United States, officials said today.
Twenty-two people have been arrested in Thailand as a result of a joint operation by U.S. and Thai customs agents against online sales of drugs _ including tranquilizers and steroids _ mailed to customers overseas, mostly in the United States, a U.S. embassy spokeswoman said.
It is the first time the U.S. government has had a hand in closing the Web sites of companies in another country selling prescription drugs for export. Prescription drugs are readily available over the counter in Thai pharmacies, despite growing government efforts to regulate pharmaceutical sales.
"The case in Thailand is a textbook illustration of how law enforcement agencies must work in tandem to fight illegal Internet pharmacies," U.S. Customs Service Commissioner Raymond Kelly said today in Washington.
"Recent cases have shown that many of these Internet pharmacies are fly-by-night operations set up overseas to avoid U.S. law," Kelly said. "They have little regard for patient safety. They're only interested in making a fast buck, then moving on to the next victim."
The suspects, arrested from November through January after almost six months of investigations, face up to five years in jail for violating Thai export regulations, said a Thai customs investigator, speaking on condition of anonymity.
U.S. authorities are also preparing indictments, as the suspects are also liable for prosecution under U.S. law, said the embassy spokeswoman, also speaking on condition of anonymity.
In addition, six arrests have been made in the United States of persons accused of buying drugs from a Thai Internet pharmacy, she said.
Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan said his government, which is hosting a meeting this week of 20 Asia-Pacific nations on fighting cross-border crime, pledged full support for further cooperation on illegal Internet sales.
"Certainly the cooperation is two-way: we inform each other of the various violations of this nature," he told The Associated Press.
He said such cooperation also extends to other crimes, such as U.S. tourists who visit Thailand for sex with children.
Thailand and the United States began their joint investigation of online pharmacies after Thai customs officers intercepted parcels of drugs being mailed to the United States in May 1999, and alerted U.S. customs.
At least one of the Internet pharmacy operators, the Bangkok-based Vitality Health Products, offered a wide range of drugs legally available only by prescription in the United States, including Viagra, which is used to remedy male impotence, and hormone replacement medicines.
Among those arrested in Thailand was a Singaporean national who ran one of the Internet pharmacies. Another was operated by a British national who has fled the country, the Thai customs officer said.
Dozens of computers and large quantities of drugs, including Viagra and the tranquilizers Xanax and Valium, were seized, he said.
The U.S. embassy voiced appreciation for Thailand's help in securing the arrests, and said customs officers of both countries were sharing evidence to build up their legal cases against the pharmacy operators and owners.
Joint investigations were continuing to identify more online pharmacies suspected of operating illegally in Thailand, said the embassy spokeswoman.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in early February announced it had sent e-mails to a dozen operators of foreign-based Internet drugstores, warning them they may be engaged in activities illegal under U.S. law.
It said the notes were similar to its traditional "warning" or "untitled" letters which the agency send to persons or organizations suspected of violating drug regulations.
The FDA said that one of the companies warned indicated it would cease its illegal activities.
