Public records reviewed for a CBS News investigation indicate that Alibaba and a U.S.-based payments company it uses did not prevent dangerous drugs, chemicals, and pill-making equipment from being sold to consumers in the United States. CBS reports that the evidence it reviewed points to the companies’ awareness of compliance problems over a sustained period, including warnings raised by employees. The reporting describes conduct spanning multiple years, during which the companies allegedly failed to stop listings or transactions involving products that could pose risks to consumers.
The investigation also says that despite the evidence, the U.S. Department of Justice does not pursue prosecution in the matter, according to the records examined by CBS. CBS notes that the DOJ’s charging decisions were not undertaken in connection with the conduct described in the public materials.
Across the two CBS summaries provided, the central themes are the alleged knowledge of compliance issues related to dangerous product sales to Americans and the absence of DOJ prosecution, based on the public record set CBS reviewed.
