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US authorities sanction 2 Indians for selling fentanyl in prescription pills
The United States Department of the Treasury on Wednesday imposed sanctions on two Indian nationals accused of supplying fentanyl-laced prescription pills
The United States Department of the Treasury on Wednesday imposed sanctions on two Indian nationals accused of running a counterfeit drug network that supplied fentanyl-laced prescription pills to victims across the United States. An India-based online pharmacy linked to the racket has also been blacklisted.
The Indians sanctioned by US
Sadiq Abbas Habib Sayyed and Khizar Mohammad Iqbal Shaikh were identified as central figures in the scheme by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
According to US authorities, the duo, both based in India, worked with traffickers in the Dominican Republic and the US to push “hundreds of thousands” of fake pills, which were falsely marketed as legitimate pharmaceuticals but contained fentanyl, fentanyl analogues and methamphetamine.
Shaikh, officials said, owns KS International Traders (also known as KS Pharmacy), an online pharmacy that was used to sell the illicit drugs. Despite being indicted in September 2024 by a federal grand jury in New York on narcotics-related charges, Shaikh allegedly continued to operate the platform, authorities said in a press release.
What the sanctions mean for the 2 Indians
For the two Indians sanctioned by the US Treasury, the immediate impact is that any assets they hold in the United States, or under the control of American companies and banks, are now frozen. They cannot access or use this money or property.
The sanctions also mean that American individuals and companies are strictly barred from doing business with them. That includes sending or receiving money, buying or selling goods, or providing any services to them or to Shaikh’s company, KS International Traders.
The reach of these measures goes beyond America. Businesses and people outside the US also risk penalties if they knowingly help Sayyed or Shaikh get around the restrictions, for example by moving money on their behalf or supplying them with goods.
The impact of fentanyl
According to US authorities, fentanyl is the main driver of the synthetic opioid crisis, which has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans.
Among those aged 18 to 45, opioid overdoses remain the leading cause of death. Under the US-India Drug Policy Framework, both countries continue to cooperate in tackling the global drug threat by cracking down on trafficking.
“Too many families have been torn apart by fentanyl. Today, we are acting to hold accountable those who profit from this poison,” said John K. Hurley, US Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. He added that Washington remains committed to its campaign to “Make America Fentanyl Free.”
