Local, state and federal law enforcement officers hit the stores simultaneously from Oxford to the coast, authorities told the Clarion Ledger. The raids targeted bodegas, which are convenience stores that primarily serve the Hispanic community.
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood said one arrest has been made, but several [image-nocss] people have been detained and some may be charged. He refused to identify the person because of the ongoing investigation.
Between February 2010 and November 2010, numerous undercover purchases of illegal pharmaceuticals were made from "convenience type businesses" across the state, according to a statement from Hood's office. Among the products purchased were various prescription-strength pain killers, antibiotics, birth control, supplements and other products not approved for sale in the United States.
"The smuggling of substandard, tainted or counterfeit products violates U.S. laws and regulations and threatens public health and safety as well as the economic well being of the U.S.," said Raymond R. Parmer, Jr., special agent in charge of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations office in New Orleans.
"Unapproved, uncleared or misbranded products pose a clear and present danger to the public health," said David W. Bourne, special agent in charge of FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office. "We will continue to join with our law enforcement counterparts to aggressively pursue those who place consumers at risk for their own financial gain."
Those arrested face both federal and state charges, according to Hood's office.
"This is a key example of how Operation Knock Out Knock-Offs is working in Mississippi," said Hood. "By partnering with federal and local officials, we can help protect consumers from dangerous fakes. We are just getting started. Counterfeiters are on notice that we mean business."
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