A police official said on Monday that the Indian Madhya Pradesh police had summoned local Amazon executives because it was investigating a suspected case of using the e-commerce platform to smuggle marijuana. Police arrested two men carrying 20 kilograms of marijuana in the state on Sunday and found that they were using Amazon’s Indian shopping website to order marijuana and smuggle them to various states.

Smugglers use the Amazon India platform to order and ship the drug, which is marketed under the guise of dried stevia leaves (a natural food sweetener). The police stated in a statement that the Amazon platform has allegedly been used to sell 1,000 kilograms of such cannabis, valued at US$148,000 (approximately Rs 11 crore). On Monday, Manoj Singh, a senior police officer in the area, said that Amazon executives have been asked to explain how their platform is used to sell prohibited substances.

“This international company has the power of artificial intelligence, so a big thing happened on their platform,” Singh said. “Amazon is involved in this cannabis delivery on many levels-from providing logistical support to delivery.” “Amazon’s lawyers may come to visit us tomorrow.” An Amazon spokesperson said in a statement that it is investigating whether the seller has violated the rules.

The statement said: “We do not allow the listing and sale of products prohibited by law in India,” adding that the company will cooperate with the authorities. This American company based in India operates a marketplace website where sellers can list their products, and Amazon also provides them with logistics and warehousing services.

Police officer Singh said his team also visited an Amazon distribution center in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, as part of the investigation to obtain detailed information about the suspected cannabis delivery. In recent years, the Indian authorities have stepped up their efforts to combat illegal drugs. Since last year, many high-profile Indian actors and TV personalities have been censored by anti-drug officials.

News Source : Gadgets 360