The U.S. Department of justice (United States Department of Justice – DOJ) issued a press release in which it announced details of a large-scale operation on suppression of illegal trafficking in prescription opioids. The main defendants in this case were 60 medical employees in 5 different States working in the health sector. According to preliminary data, malefactors illegally discharged around 32 million tablets of narcotic drugs and fabricated more than 350 thousand recipes.
«If the so-called medical professionals will behave like drug dealers, we will treat it accordingly,» said Benczkowski. Photo: Depositphotos
According to the published document, among physicians involved in the illegal distribution of opioids, including: 31 doctor, 7 pharmacists, 8 nurse practitioners and many other health workers. Using various fraudulent schemes, they have to bypass the existing rules prescribed people treatment drugs. The greater part of the suspects have been several counts and in almost all cases, offenders face up to 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. attorney Brian Benczkowski said that the attackers acted on the territory of 5 States. The speech is about Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, West Virginia and Alabama. To calculate the criminals managed through regional group for combating illicit trafficking of opioids, ARPO (Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force). The squad was assembled in 2018 and a few months figured suppliers of prescription drugs.
«If the so-called medical professionals will behave like drug dealers, we will treat it accordingly,» said Benczkowski.
Power without purpose struck at the drug trade in this part of the United States. Appalachia is considered one of the most affected by opioid crisis regions. For example, Ohio ranks second in deaths from overdose with this drug type. Therefore, the Ministry of justice is taking an active sweep among illegal dealers of prescription drugs.
«The opioid epidemic — the deadliest drug crisis in American history, and Appalachia suffered from it more than any other region. However, the Ministry of justice is doing everything possible to put an end to this phenomenon,» said attorney General William Barr.
