US sanctions two Indian nationals for trafficking ‘fentanyl-laced’ counterfeit pills

The individuals are involved in distributing the pills through encrypted platforms, the treasury department says

The news agency purchased a metal mold to stamp its blue pills with “M” on one side and “30” on the other. Much of the illicit fentanyl sold in the United States bears these distinct markings, which mimic a generic version of the prescription painkiller oxycodone. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

The US Department of the Treasury has sanctioned two Indian nationals and an India-based online pharmacy for supplying “hundreds of thousands” of counterfeit prescription pills filled with “fentanyl and other illicit substances” to the US.

The sanctioned individuals were identified as Sadiq Abbas Habib Sayyed and Khizar Mohammad Iqbal Shaikh.

"Sayyed and Shaikh marketed and sold these pills as legitimate, discounted pharmaceuticals, but they were actually filled with illicit drugs like fentanyl, its analogues, and methamphetamine," the department said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Both have used encrypted messaging platforms to conduct their illegal trade and target victims,” it added.

Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K Hurley underscored the devastating impact of fentanyl.

“Too many families have been torn apart by fentanyl. Today, we are acting to hold accountable those who profit from this poison,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.

“Treasury will continue to advance President [Donald] Trump’s commitment to Make America Fentanyl Free by targeting drug traffickers.”

Fentanyl has fueled the synthetic opioid crisis, contributing to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans, with opioid overdoses now the leading cause of death among those aged 18 to 45.

Previously, Trump had named India, Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan among 23 countries identified as major drug transit or illicit drug-producing nations, citing the significant threat posed by narcotics and precursor chemicals from these regions.