Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and its U.S. digital payment processor, AUS Merchant Services, agree to pay $600 million to resolve a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into allegations that they failed to prevent illegal drug-related sales on Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms. The DOJ says the investigation focuses on whether the companies allowed merchants to sell and import unlawful pharmaceuticals and controlled substances into the United States through Alibaba.com and AliExpress. Multiple reports state the case also involves regulated chemicals and pill-making equipment. According to the DOJ, Alibaba and AUS Merchant Services admit they did not adequately prevent roughly 80,000 unlawful product sales over nearly a decade, though the exact figures and scope of products are described in different ways across outlets. The settlement is presented as a major criminal resolution for a Chinese technology company and is structured through non-prosecution agreements. The agreement resolves federal allegations that federal law was violated by failing to stop prohibited goods from being sold and imported into the U.S. using the companies’ payment services.