An Indian national, identified as Sanjay Kumar, has been arrested on charges of trafficking counterfeit cancer drugs into the United States, as announced by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani; Kumar’s detention hearing is scheduled, where he is expected to stand before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray.

According to a press release from the Department of Justice, the 43-year-old from Bihar, India was picked up by authorities on June 26, and he purportedly managed the sale and shipments of fake versions of Keytruda, a cancer medication produced by Merck and Co., among other counterfeited oncology drugs. Kumar faces a conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods (drugs) charge and if he is found guilty, the sentence could be as stern as 10 years in federal prison along with a fine that could reach $1 million.

This case is under the microscope of Homeland Security Investigations and the Food and Drug Administration, marking a concerted effort to crackdown on the illegal and potentially dangerous spread of counterfeit medicines. Kumar's prosecution is led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman and includes the expertise of Trial Attorneys Jeff Pearlman and Bryce Rosenbower of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.