Selling drugs on the Internet can be a very lucrative business, but it is also an excellent way to get oneself locked up in jail sooner or later. Two Pakistani men found that out the hard way, as they succeeded in selling nearly US$1m of narcotics on the deep web. As a result of their business practices, they were sentenced by a US federal Judge after being extradited in 2012.
Pakistani Drug Sellers Locked Behind Bars
The allure of selling drugs online can sway anyone’s mind to venture into the world of criminality. Money can be made with relative ease, assuming one takes the necessary precautions to stay anonymous. That said, receiving and shipping packages, either domestically or internationally, will always attract unwanted attention at some point.
For two Pakistani narcotics sellers, their business started out as an online pharmacy. Not the legal kind, mind you, but a pure illegal business that operated from 2005 to 2012. They distributed US$2m worth of pharmaceuticals to customers worldwide, with most of the goods ending up in the United States.
Running such an online business means it is only a matter of time until an arrest is made. For both men, this arrest came in 2012, when they were apprehended by the London Metropolitan Police Service Fugitive Squad. Given their crimes against the US Constitution, they were extradited shortly after their arrest, where they awaited trial until a few days ago.
Several charges were filed, ranging from money laundering to running drug crimes and conspiracy to import controlled substances in the US. Both men pleaded guilty to their individual charges, as there was no reason not to do so. All of the evidence piled up against them made a damning case, and there was very little point in disputing the obvious.
Contrary to what some people may expect, US customers were not asked to make Bitcoin payments by any means. In the early days of the business, Western Union was the primary form of payment, with transfers sent to Karachi, Pakistan. It appears Western Union remained the primary payment option until the day both individuals were arrested in 2012.
Now that both men have been convicted to undisclosed jail sentences, the US government wants to continue the fight against online drug sales. Regardless of whether they occur on the deep web or through regular “legitimate” storefronts, pharmaceuticals should not be messed around with. The road ahead is long and hard, but the goal remains to protect to the USA against dangerous drugs.
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