FedEx Accused of Conspiracy to Distribute Drugs

Federal Express was indicted Thursday on federal charges alleging that it distributed prescription drugs and other controlled substances to people that the company knew had no prescriptions on behalf of illegal Internet pharmacies.

The indictment... ...alleges that FedEx illegally distributed controlled substances and pharmaceuticals...

The government is suggesting that FedEx assume criminal responsibility for the legality of the contents of the millions of packages that we pick up and deliver every day... ...We cannot, however, do the job of law enforcement ourselves

...profits from the illegal activity -- estimated in the indictment to be $820 million.

Source
For many more sources, just Google it.

Wow. This is gonna be an in interesting case to watch. On one hand, FedEx was illegally delivering drugs to customers that were sold by illegal pharmacies, and many people, including former and current employees, are coming out and claiming that the activity was known about and openly allowed. And FedEx apparently made about $820 million doing this. However, on the other hand, FedEx claims that they can't be responsible for the content of the packages they deliver. Is this a legitimate argument, or just a cheap excuse?

If FexEx were a politician, all would be spun and forgotten by dinner.

The Gov't doesn't like competition in this arena....they'll make an example out of them most certainly.

It would make more sense to me, to go after the "illegal pharmacies" before going after FedEx
Right?

Well, FedEx is a private carrier -- meaning they can open any package they want for whatever reason they want without a search warrant. I don't know why anyone would risk sending anything like medication with a private carrier. I've heard far to many stories of things going "missing" at the FedEx hubs (from friends that have worked for FedEx).

originally posted by: o0oTOPCATo0o
It would make more sense to me, to go after the "illegal pharmacies" before going after FedEx
Right?

Exactly but.....if you take down the middle man......I don't know but why would the govt. begin making sense today?

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
Well, FedEx is a private carrier -- meaning they can open any package they want for whatever reason they want without a search warrant.

Are you sure about that? Even so how many packages a day do they deliver? Hell, that would be impossible to manage. FedEx is right. Not their business.

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
Well, FedEx is a private carrier -- meaning they can open any package they want for whatever reason they want without a search warrant. I don't know why anyone would risk sending anything like medication with a private carrier. I've heard far to many stories of things going "missing" at the FedEx hubs (from friends that have worked for FedEx).

Are you positive they can open packages for whatever reason?

Sure if they have reason to believe the package contains a bomb or drugs or a dead body but I'm certain they must abide by some sort of law preventing employees from opening packages on a whim.

Real dealers shipping through the mail use UPS. I know a few people who have done that.

originally posted by: trollz
...many people, including former and current employees, are coming out and claiming that the activity was known about and openly allowed.

How could the employees know the end user was getting them illegally without the recipient telling the delivery person or any other FedEx employee?

a reply to: trollz

While we are at it.

Let's accuse cities of providing parks for people to use illegal drugs.

FEDEX is a company that's in the business of shipping packages. If FEDEX were opening packages to check for illegal drugs the government would be all over them for invasion of privacy.

Also FEDEX claims it's been asking the Feds for some time for a list of companies to not ship for. Of course the feds never provided this list.

a reply to: intrepid

USPS requires a warrant to open packages. When you ship via FedEx or UPS you are "agreeing" to their terms.

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
a reply to: intrepid

USPS requires a warrant to open packages. When you ship via FedEx or UPS you are "agreeing" to their terms.

I still say they must abide to certain universal laws.

People can't just open packages for no reason.

a reply to: minusinfinity

I stand corrected...
www.ups.com...

Right of Inspection UPS reserves the right to open and inspect any package tendered to it for transportation.

Well that's the policy of UPS. lets see what fedex says....

Could there be another reason that is not yet obvious why the Govt is doing this. There are probably lots of companies delivering the same stuff, why pick on FedEx? This sort of freight is not surely not new, and its worldwide, why wait till now?
Strange.

This must be another part of the failed war on drugs. How do the feds know about this unless they know the illegal shippers and have allowed them to keep shipping drugs.

FedEx.

www.fedex.com...

We may, at our sole discretion, open and inspect any shipment without notice.

a reply to: roadgravel
The make believe "war on drugs" and it goes in the statistics as lots of successfull drugs busts.

If they screw FedEx in court, it will mean everybody else in the business (and that's a lot of people) have to pay a big fine. Ker-Ching Ker-Ching Ker-Ching.

Also, It would give them enough money to buy some gold to placate the Germans who are hopping mad about none of their gold being returned plus the itty little bit of spying on them, and might be threatening to dig up the US bases unless they get their shiney gold bars back that were supposed to be in Fort Knox.

(Just Speculation, of course).

a reply to: trollz

I used to work for FedEx, very rarely did I know what was in the package other than what was claimed by the sender on the airway bill. Its illegal to open mail not addressed to you.

I don't know how FedEx is responsible for not taking their customers word. Assuming people aren't writing "illegal drugs" on the waybill of course. And if it was international, it is up to customs to deal with it if it's an illegal substance being shipped.

I can't see how the government will win this one, unless of course it was an inside job...then I would assume the people involved would be charged individually.


EDIT: Didn't see the post above on FedEx's terms on opening and inspecting what they want when they want. I truly feel this applies only to their security and customs though. Perhaps even management. I can't see a package handler or courier doing that.

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
Well, FedEx is a private carrier -- meaning they can open any package they want for whatever reason they want without a search warrant. I don't know why anyone would risk sending anything like medication with a private carrier. I've heard far to many stories of things going "missing" at the FedEx hubs (from friends that have worked for FedEx).

Medications are more expensive in the USA than somewhere like Mexico. It's all to do with "what the market can bear". So many people cross the border to buy prescriptions in Mexico where they are a third of the price, or send off their prescriptions and the drugs are returned in the post.

Technically, these are drugs legally approved for sale in another country. The illegal bit is that they aren't approved by the USA, and thus aren't paying a license or charging markup fees. So the healthcare industry loses out.

I think this is what it is all really about ... keeping the money in the USA.

"The government is suggesting that FedEx assume criminal responsibility for the legality of the contents of the millions of packages that we pick up and deliver every day... ...We cannot, however, do the job of law enforcement ourselves"

A possible government backdoor, not just into FedEx (just the "tool" being used for the job), a way to encroach even more and further get their hands into the lives' of the people?