Amazon executives in India were caught using the online retailer to smuggle weed. Law enforcement in India estimates that the executives were able to sell about 1,000 kilograms of cannabis through Amazon. The total sales generated about $148,000 USD.
The Scheme Began to Unravel Last Month
Suspicions first arose when police arrested two men who had 20 kilograms of cannabis on November 14, 2021. The men were using Amazon to sell weed but listed it as stevia leaves, a natural sweetener.
Bhind Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Singh said, “On a tip-off, we arrested Kallu Pawaiya and Dhaba owner Brijendra Tomar from Behind Gwalior Road on Saturday and recovered 20 kilograms of marijuana. Kallu used to source the marijuana from Vishakhapatnam through a reputed international e-commerce firm to Gwalior, Bhopal, Kota, Agra, and other areas of the country. Brijendra helped him in the business.”
The Executives were Quickly Implicated After the Initial Arrest
The involvement of Amazon executives came to light after law enforcement made this initial arrest. The executives are being charged under India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. However, the police didn’t specify how many executives they charged.
The Seattle-based company immediately responded, saying in a statement: “The issue was notified to us, and we are currently investigating it.”
Photo by RoseBox رز باکس on Unsplash
Amazon is Releasing Contradictory Statements
However, the company quickly double-backed. Amazon told BBC, “Reports that Amazon executives have been arrested or charged as part of this case are incorrect and we are not aware of any Amazon executives being named in the investigation.”
However, this claim from Amazon contradicts what the police have stated about the case. Furthermore, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) should take action against Amazon, saying the website acted as the seller and earned commission.
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
Amazon India is Knee-Deep in Scandal
This is just the latest in a series of issues for Amazon. Regulators are investigating Amazon India due to claims that Amazon showed preferential treatment to certain sellers. In September, Amazon launched an internal probe to determine whether one or more of its employees bribed officials.
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