Editing Amway (section)

===Amway India===
In September 2006, following a public complaint, [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[Telangana]] state police (CID) initiated raids and seizures against Amway distributors in the state, and submitted a petition against them, claiming the company violated the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act.<ref name="Ban on Amway Chits, Schemes">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/17/stories/2008091754250400.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919154837/http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/17/stories/2008091754250400.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 19, 2008 |title=Ban on Amway Chits, Schemes |location=India |date=September 17, 2008 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=July 9, 2011}}</ref> They shut down all corporate offices associated with the Amway organization including the offices of some Amway distributors. The enforcement said that the business model of the company is illegal.<ref name="ibtimes">{{Cite news|url=https://www.ibtimes.co.in/articles/20061213/amway-mlm-business-model.htm |title=Amway in hot water in Hyderabad over "business model" controversy |last=Saha |first=Arijit |date=December 13, 2006 |publisher=IB Times |access-date=January 17, 2010 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/hyderabad-police-shuts-down-amway-offices_242899.html |title=Hyderabad Police shuts down Amway offices |publisher=Moneycontrol.com |access-date=July 9, 2011 |archive-date=January 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121011254/http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/hyderabad-police-shuts-down-amway-offices_242899.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had notified the police that Amway in India may be violating certain laws regarding a "money circulation scheme" and the [[International Business Times|''IB Times'']] article writes that "some say ... Amway is really more about making money from recruiting people to become distributors, as opposed to selling products".<ref name="ibtimes"/> In 2008, the state government of Andhra Pradesh enacted a ban on Amway media advertisements.<ref name="Ban on Amway Chits, Schemes"/>

On August 6, 2011, [[Kerala Police]] sealed the offices of Amway at [[Kozhikode]], [[Kannur]], [[Kochi]], [[Kottayam]], [[Thrissur]], [[Kollam]] and [[Thiruvananthapuram]] following complaints.<ref name="Kerala raids">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Amway-offices-raided-at-nine-places/Article1-730172.aspx |title=Amway offices raided at nine places |work=Hindustan Times |location=India |date=August 6, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929144059/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Amway-offices-raided-at-nine-places/Article1-730172.aspx |archive-date=September 29, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=112554 |title=Police raid at Amway offices |publisher=Mathrubhumi English |date=2011-08-06 |access-date=2013-05-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105211544/http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=112554 |archive-date=November 5, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/article481246.ece |title=Statewide raids on Amway offices |work=The New Indian Express |date=2011-08-07 |access-date=2013-05-27 |archive-date=April 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420230724/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/article481246.ece |url-status=dead }}</ref> In November 2012, the Economic Offences Wing of Kerala Police conducted searches at the offices of Amway at Kozhikode, Thrissur and Kannur as part of its crackdown on money chain activities and closed down the firm's warehouses at these centres. Products valued at 21.4 million rupees (about US$400,000 at the time) were also seized.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/searches-conducted-on-amway-offices/article4084066.ece |title=Searches conducted on Amway offices |newspaper=The Hindu |date=2012-11-10 |access-date=2013-05-27 |archive-date=March 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305163049/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/searches-conducted-on-amway-offices/article4084066.ece |url-status=live }}</ref> Later, Area manager of Amway, P. M. Rajkumar, who was arrested following searches was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/amway-accused-in-judicial-custody/article4087090.ece |title=Amway: accused in judicial custody |newspaper=The Hindu |date=2012-11-11 |access-date=2013-05-27 |archive-date=February 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226222410/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/amway-accused-in-judicial-custody/article4087090.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>

On May 27, 2013, Crime Branch officials of Kerala Police arrested William S. Pinckney, Managing Director & CEO of Amway India Enterprises along with two other directors of the company from Kozhikode. The three were arrested on charges of running a pyramid scheme.<ref name="Sanandakumar"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mathrubhumi.com/business/news_articles/amway-ceo-pinkni-scott-and-two-directors-arrested-363981.html |title=Amway India CEO William Scott Pinckney arrested Mathrubhumi Business |newspaper=Mathrubhumi |access-date=2013-05-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607182618/http://www.mathrubhumi.com/business/news_articles/amway-ceo-pinkni-scott-and-two-directors-arrested-363981.html |archive-date=June 7, 2013 |df=mdy }}</ref> They were granted bail the next day and the business was unaffected. On June 8, 2013, Kozhikode Court lifted the freeze on Amway offices in Kerala.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130608/news-current-affairs/article/kozhikode-court-lifts-freeze-amway-offices |title=Kozhikode Court lifts freeze on Amway offices Deccan Chronicle |newspaper=Deccan Chronicle |access-date=2013-06-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613141113/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130608/news-current-affairs/article/kozhikode-court-lifts-freeze-amway-offices |archive-date=June 13, 2013 }}</ref> On May 26, 2014, Pinckney was arrested by Andhra Pradesh police on the basis of a consumer complaint that alleged unethical circulation of money by Amway. He was subsequently arrested in other criminal cases registered against him in the state on allegations of financial irregularities by the company.<ref name="HT_072816"/> Pinckney was jailed for two months until being released on bail.<ref name="HT_072816">{{cite news|title=Amway India CEO William Pinckney released on bail|url=http://www.livemint.com/Companies/ljtM8Ram1OJQsudUebpfsI/Amway-India-MD-CEO-Pinckney-released-on-bail.html|access-date=March 23, 2016|work=[[Hindustan Times]]|date=July 28, 2014|archive-date=March 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312092547/http://www.livemint.com/Companies/ljtM8Ram1OJQsudUebpfsI/Amway-India-MD-CEO-Pinckney-released-on-bail.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ET_072916">{{cite news|title=Amway India MD & CEO William Pinckney released on bail|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-07-29/news/52186688_1_two-company-directors-prize-chits-amway|access-date=March 23, 2016|work=[[The Economic Times]]|date=Jul 29, 2014|archive-date=April 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404233051/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-07-29/news/52186688_1_two-company-directors-prize-chits-amway|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="HBL_072814">{{cite news|title=Amway India MD & CEO William Pinckney released on bail|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/amway-india-ceo-william-s-pinckney-released-on-bail/article6257866.ece|access-date=March 23, 2016|work=[[The Hindu Business Line]]|date=Jul 28, 2014}}</ref>

In 2017, a [[Chandigarh]] court framed charges, under [[Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code]] and the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Scheme (Banning) Act, against two directors of Amway India, William Scot Pinckney and Prithvai Raj Bijlani. This was based on a cheating case filed by eight complainants in 2002, following which the Economic Offences Wing had filed chargesheet in 2012. A revision plea moved by the two Amway officials against the framed charges was dismissed in 2018.<ref>{{cite news | title = Charges framed against two Amway directors | newspaper = The Tribune | url = https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/charges-framed-against-two-amway-directors-349309 | access-date=August 20, 2024 | location = India }}{{void|Fabrickator|comment|original url: http://www.tribuneindia.com/mobi/news/chandigarh/courts/charges-framed-against-two-amway-directors/349309.html }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Chandigarh Court junks revision plea of two Amway officials in 2002 cheating case | newspaper = The Indian Express | url = http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/2002-cheating-case-chandigarh-court-junks-revision-plea-of-two-amway-officials-5259012 | access-date = July 24, 2018 | archive-date = July 24, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180724153903/https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/2002-cheating-case-chandigarh-court-junks-revision-plea-of-two-amway-officials-5259012/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

In April 2022, the [[Enforcement Directorate]] attached both movable and immovable assets of Amway India worth {{INRconvert|757|c|0|lk}} including the firm's factory in [[Dindigul]] along with bank accounts under the [[Prevention of Money Laundering Act]] (PMLA).<ref>{{cite news |title=ED attaches Amway India's assets worth Rs 757 crore in alleged MLM scam |url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/ed-attaches-amway-indias-assets-worth-rs-757-crore-in-alleged-money-laundering-case-8373671.html |access-date=18 April 2022 |work=Moneycontrol |date=18 April 2022 |language=en |archive-date=April 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418115659/https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/ed-attaches-amway-indias-assets-worth-rs-757-crore-in-alleged-money-laundering-case-8373671.html |url-status=live }}</ref>