LUCKNOW (Reuters India) – Indian police announced Saturday that they have charged top Amazon.com executives under narcotics laws. The charges relate to alleged marijuana smuggling through the Amazon.com online store.

Police in the central Madhya Pradesh state arrested two men with 20 kg of marijuana https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-police-question-amazon-executives-probe-over-marijuana-smuggling-2021-11-15 on Nov. 14 and found they were using the Amazon India website to order and further smuggle the substance in the guise of stevia leaves, a natural sweetener, to other Indian states.

The statement by state police stated that Amazon India’s executive directors were named under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act because of differences in the answers provided by Amazon India to questions and the facts discovered by discussion.

The number of executives charged by police was not disclosed.

Police officers who previously spoke to Amazon executives about the case had estimated that approximately 1000 kg of marijuana was being sold by Amazon.

Amazon didn’t immediately reply to our request for comment. Amazon has stated previously that they are investigating whether a seller was not complying with the terms of their agreement.

Indian authorities have been intensifying their crackdown on illegal drugs in the last few years. Since last year, narcotics officers have scrutinized many high-profile Indian TV stars and actors.