Additionally, the business has committed to monitoring fake dies, stamps, and molds more closely.
In order to settle claims made by the Justice Department that it facilitated in the sale of pill press machines, which are used to make both real and counterfeit prescription drugs, the online commerce platform eBay will pay a total of $59 million. These presses, along with other goods intended for the production of pills, such as molds, stamps, dies, and encapsulating machines, were among the thousands of presses that were sold on the platform. For those who are not familiar with the process, encapsulating machines are utilized to inject medication into capsules.
Machines that press pills are utilized by legal pharmaceutical organizations in the production of medication; yet, these machines are also an essential instrument for the production of counterfeit pills. Fraudsters utilize these machines to create counterfeit drugs that are designed to seem like real prescription pills. These counterfeit medications are often sold on the black market or on the dark web. These counterfeit pills, when paired with molds, stamps, and dies, will come out looking exactly like the real McCoy, right down to the logos and lettering that are printed on each side separately. In addition to that, these presses are capable of producing thousands of pills in a single hour.
Specifically, the problem is that businesses who assist the sale of pill presses and other associated equipment are required to check the identity of the buyers and send records along to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in order to guarantee that the machines can be traced in the event that they are used in an illegal manner. It would appear that eBay has disregarded its responsibilities in this matter, which constitutes a violation of the Controlled Substances Act.
According to statements made by the United States Attorney Nikolas Kerest to ABC News, “Ebay made it easy for individuals across the country to obtain the type of dangerous machines that are frequently used to make counterfeit pills.”
Furthermore, the inability of eBay to adhere to “basic reporting and record keeping requirements” made it possible for individuals to “set up pill factories in their homes and to do so without being detected,” as stated by the United States Attorney Henry Leventis.
Additionally, eBay has committed to comply with regulations going forward, which means that information regarding each pill press machine sold, along with accessories, will be forwarded to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for review. This is in addition to the substantial settlement. In addition, the Department of Justice has reported that a significant number of the individuals who purchased the machines on eBay have been charged with instances of criminal trafficking of counterfeit drugs.
The fact that these fake pills are frequently loaded with a wide variety of illicit substances, including fentanyl, makes this a significant issue. On its own, fentanyl overdoses claimed the lives of about 74,000 people in 2022, making it the synthetic opioid that is largely responsible for the most fatal overdose catastrophe in the history of the United States. This substance is responsible for more than two-thirds of all deaths that occur as a result of an overdose in the United States. It is not true that touching it will cause you to go into a coma, regardless of what the police say; yet, you should still avoid coming into contact with the substance.
Regarding eBay, this is not the first time that the corporation has been required to pay money to the Department of Justice. In order to resolve a particularly weird cyberstalking case that involved the shipment of live animals, it was recently required to pay a sum of three million dollars. Additionally, the Department of Justice is prosecuting eBay for enabling the sale of aftermarket “defeat devices,” which are gadgets that circumvent emission controls on vehicles.