The Financial Times reports
The US Treasury has put sanctions on 25 Chinese individuals and entities for their alleged involvement in drug manufacturing and smuggling, as Washington steps up efforts to crack down on the proliferation of fentanyl. Treasury said it was disrupting a China-based network that is responsible for making and distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine and ingredients to make ecstasy. It also placed sanctions on one person and two groups in Canada that had allegedly imported drugmaking chemicals from China. In a related action, the Department of Justice unsealed eight indictments against Chinese groups and 12 executives for allegedly making and supplying methamphetamine, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. “The global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies in China,” said US attorney-general Merrick Garland. “The US government is focused on breaking apart every link in that chain, getting fentanyl out of our communities, and bringing those who put it there to justice.” Garland said it was “critical that the [Chinese] government stops the unchecked flow of precursor chemicals that are coming from China”. Similarly, the Treasury sanctions showed the Joe Biden administration would “swiftly use all of our tools to counter the global threat posed by the illicit drug trade”, said Wally Adeyemo, deputy Treasury secretary.
Read the full report
https://www.ft.com/content/ad27b505-314b-4ca4-8c63-3933d5390c23
