The dwindling reputation of e-commerce giant Amazon has hit another abyss. This time the American multinational company has emerged as a hub of illegal buying and selling of Marijuana.
MP Police books Amazon’s Executives
Madhya Pradesh police have registered a case against Amazon for allowing its platform to enhance the trading of illicit Marijuana.
According to the reports, Bhind Police has booked Amazon’s executives under section 38 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The stated act deals with the companies involved in the trade of narcotic substances. The company is also alleged to have lied to the police and refused to cooperate in their investigation.
A case has been filed against Amazon under the NDPS act for supplying Ganja in Madhya Pradesh. @ManojSharmaBpl shares details with @shreyadhoundial pic.twitter.com/eS29h2fK9A
— News18 (@CNNnews18) November 20, 2021
Police toiled hard for a week to collect evidence
Amazon was under MP police radar for the last week. On 13th November 2021, the Bhind police arrested two men who were in a possession of 20 kg of Marijuana. They were caught red-handed while trying to smuggle the banned substance from Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh to Madhya Pradesh.
The two arrested men were Suraj alias Kallu Pavaiya, a native of Gwalior, and Pintu alias Bijendra Singh Tomar, a Dhaba owner in the Bhind district.
Talking to the New Indian Express, Bhind district Supretendent Manoj Kumar Singh said, “Subsequent investigation based on the grilling of the arrested duo has revealed that they had been sourcing the contraband narcotic substance using the major online shopping platform since the last four months. Around one tonnes of ganja (marijuana) had already been sourced by them in the last four months using the same platform. Monetary transactions worth Rs 1.10 crore had taken place during the last four months,”
Modus operandi and Amazon’s profit in allowing its platform to sell Marijuana
Pavaiya and Jisawal, another co-conspirator had formed a company named ‘Babu Tex’ and had registered it on Amazon as a seller. The company used to claim that it is selling herbal products and curry leaves. They used to trade Ganja under the guise of selling artificial sweeteners called stevia. Modus operandi was simple. An already fixed buyer of marijuana used to book stevia on his/her address and ‘Babu Tex’ used to deliver marijuana instead of stevia. Because the package containing Marijuana had credibility with Amazon, it was not subjected to stricter compliance.
Ganja consignment being delivered via Amazon busted in Bhind, Madhya Pradesh | Bhind Police makes e-commerce company Amazon India's Executive Directors accused in the matter under NDPS Act: Bhind SP Manoj Kumar Singh
— ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2021
Amazon used to get over 66 percent of the monetary transaction involved in the deal. Adding further, Bhind Police chief had said, “The arrested duo’s grilling has also revealed that over 66% of the share of the monetary transactions went to the online shopping major. We’re going to send notice to Amazon soon, as the online shopping portal has failed on multiple counts to check this nefarious online smuggling of the narcotic substance. If further probe establishes that the online shopping platform to is at fault and part of the crime, then it will be booked under 29 NDPS Act”
Amazon had issued a statement claiming that the company does not allow buying and selling of the products that are banned in India. However, police investigations found otherwise. Singh informed the media that Amazon was involved at various levels in the deal as it is evident from it occupying 66 percent of monetary transactions. “There is involvement of Amazon at many levels in this marijuana delivery – from providing logistical support to delivery,” Singh said.
Amazon and its illegal practices have become a scorn
As reported by the TFI, Amazon has been getting exposed in India for its alleged illegal activities. The company has been selling individual privacy and bribing Indian officials for its profiteering motive. On top of that, to establish its monopoly in the market, it is embroiled in an ugly legal battle with Reliance and Future Groups.
Read more: Amazon has made its greatest mistake in India and is now paying for it
Meanwhile, MP home minister Narottam Mishra has said that the state will make strict guidelines to make Amazon comply with the rules and regulations. In a clear warning to the e-commerce company, he said, “There are no guidelines for online businesses. We’ll make guidelines for MP. Amazon was called but they’re not cooperating. We will bring them. I appeal to Amazon’s MD-CEO to cooperate or else we’ll initiate action,”
The booking of its officials under the NDPS act came at the worst possible time for the company. The atmosphere regarding drug use in the country is extremely severe after the arrest of Aryan Khan. Indians are so much agitated that they have lost respect for their megastar. It won’t take a genius to guess how much reputation destruction to Amazon will be caused due to this marijuana scandal.