Two brothers from India, Avanish Kumar Jha and Rajnish Kumar Jha, were sentenced to 30 months in prison by a U.S. District Court in Seattle for selling counterfeit and adulterated drugs in the United States. Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller announced the sentencing. The brothers were arrested in Singapore in April 2023 and extradited to the U.S. in February 2025.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez emphasized the risk posed by introducing adulterated drugs, stating, “The issue here is the introduction of adulterated drugs to people who think they are getting lifesaving drugs… This activity has so much risk to cause harm.”
The investigation began in 2019 when authorities discovered that the Jha brothers and their company, Dhrishti Pharma International, were selling prescription drugs online. Undercover agents from the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) and ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) ordered products labeled as Keytruda, a cancer medication made by Merck. Analysis revealed these products contained no active ingredients and some had contaminants.
The counterfeit drugs were shipped from India using various payment methods including wire transfers and direct exchanges through intermediaries in the U.S., designed to evade detection by customs or regulators.
In January 2025, a Singapore judge approved their extradition to the U.S., where they pleaded guilty to smuggling charges in June 2025.
Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski described exporting counterfeit medicines as "a cruel business that robs ill people of any hope for relief." He noted that schemes like this are not unique but violate numerous U.S. laws meant to protect public safety.
Special Agent Robert Iwanicki from FDA OCI stated that distributing counterfeit prescription drugs cannot be tolerated: “Americans expect and deserve drugs that are safe, effective, and that meet appropriate standards for quality.”
ICE HSI Seattle Acting Special Agent Colin Jackson highlighted the collaborative efforts between law enforcement agencies: “This investigation is a prime example of collaboration between law enforcement agencies to leverage their unique authorities to target international criminal organizations.”
Judge Martinez also imposed a $50,000 fine on each defendant and will consider additional restitution costs for Merck’s testing expenses next month. He stressed the importance of deterrence against sending adulterated drugs into any country.
The case was investigated by FDA OCI and ICE HSI with prosecution led by Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs aided extradition efforts alongside law enforcement partners at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore.
