A Boeing plant, claiming to only make military helicopters like the H-47 Chinook and the V-22 Osprey, has been secretly and illegally making much more than that. Federal agents and the Drug Enforcement Administration raided the Philadelphia plant early Thursday, September 29, 2011, and charged more than 30 people with distributing prescription drugs, including potent painkillers.
Authorities have claimed the drugs don’t seem to be part of an organized drug ring, but was instead performed by individuals. However, according to DEA agent Vito S. Guarino, “These sales placed the individual abusers, as well as society at large, at risk.”
Although no accidents are known to have happened with aircrafts manufactured in the plant, officials are still taking caution about the manufactured aircraft.
23 people have been charged with an illegal distribution of a prescription drug, according to federal prosecutors. 14 other people have been charged with attempted possession of the many different drugs, which include fentanyl, oxycodone, and many others.
36, out of the 37 charged were current or past employees of the plant.
In a statement made by Boeing spokesman Damien Mills, “Boeing commends the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and other federal law enforcement agencies for their rigorous and thorough investigation, throughout which we took appropriate steps to ensure safety of our employees and the absolute integrity and quality of the products we produce for our customers.”
The raid came about after Boeing informed the proper authorities of their suspicions of drug activity after performing an internal investigation, says the statement by Mills.
The statement goes on to claim employees are tested for being under the influence of drugs or alcohol if there’s any suspicious behavior.
Although there was an error at the plant back in 2008 where Boeing shut down two production lines after finding a plastic cup in a fuel line of an in-production Osprey. After the incident, Boeing started corrective action and commenced production. Prosecutors don’t think the incident was related to drug use.