Amazon India executives accused of online drug sales

COPS in India have charged executives from the local arm of US e-commerce giant Amazon on charges that the company’s online portal was used to smuggle and sell marijuana.

Two persons were arrested last week for possessing 21 kilograms (46 pounds) of the drug in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and told officers that they were using Amazon India’s platform to transport their goods to various places in the country, AFP reported.

The arrested persons admitted to shipping their item by falsely marketing it as stevia leaf, a natural sweetener, AFP said citing a police report on Sunday (21).

Officials from Amazon India’s unit were included in the allegations due to contradictions between evidence collected in the police probe and responses that the company received, the police report added.

Neither the cops nor Amazon revealed how many employees were facing the accusation.

The e-commerce giant said it was investigating the case and pledged to cooperate with the police in a statement to AFP.

“We do not allow the listing and sale of products which are prohibited under law to be sold in India,” a company spokesperson said.

India is a key market for the American company with local investments worth $6.5 billion since its debut in 2013.

The company is currently facing an anti-trust probe in India along with Walmart-subsidiary Flipkart and the drugs case is the latest legal tussle that the e-commerce company’s Indian arm is facing.

Both the companies are being probed by India’s watchdogs over allegations that they gave preferential treatment to some sellers. Amazon also launched an internal probe into the matter after reports came out in September that one or more of its Indian employees had bribed officials in the government.