Pakistani Firm Shipped Fentanyl Analogs, Scams to US
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Summary
Last month, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) unsealed an indictment charging a Texas firm with distributing synthetic opioids.
However, an investigation into the company’s founders reveals they are connected to a sprawling network of websites that have a history of scamming people with offers of trademark registration, book publishing, exam preparation, and the design of logos, mobile applications, and websites.
Many of the firm’s employees are former associates of the Pakistani company Axact, which was the focus of a 2015 New York Times story about its lucrative trade in fake college degrees and diplomas.
The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has since banned Abtach from filing any more trademark applications.
Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) charged Bilwani and others with operating an elaborate trademark scam in 2021.