The duo have been sanctioned "for their role in collectively supplying hundreds of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills filled with fentanyl and other illicit drugs," a statement issued by the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said on Wednesday
The suspects used encrypted messaging platforms to conduct illegal business and market their product to victims. Representational Pic/File/iStock
The US treasury has sanctioned two Indian nationals and an India-based online pharmacy for supplying counterfeit prescription pills filled with fentanyl and other illicit drugs to victims across the United States.
Sadiq Abbas Habib Sayyed and Khizar Mohammad Iqbal Shaikh have been sanctioned "for their role in collectively supplying hundreds of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills filled with fentanyl and other illicit drugs," a statement issued by the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said on Wednesday.
Sadiq and Khizar worked with Dominican Republic and US-based narcotics traffickers to sell counterfeit pills to Americans, it said.
They marketed and sold these pills as discounted, legitimate pharmaceutical products, which were instead filled with illicit drugs like fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, and methamphetamine, it added.
They used encrypted messaging platforms to conduct illegal business and market their product to victims.
Khizar is also the owner of the sanctioned online pharmacy, KS International Traders (a.k.a. "KS Pharmacy"), used in furtherance of Shaikh's criminal activities.
According to the sanctions, all property and interests in property of both Indian nationals located in the United States or in the possession or control of US persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.
Fentanyl has been the primary driver of the synthetic opioid crisis, which is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans. Opioid overdose remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45, it said.
Highlighting the US-India Drug Policy Framework, the statement said, "the US and India continue to work together to fight the devastating impact of illicit drugs and to put an end to the global drug threat by combating drug trafficking, improving public health, and strengthening global supply chains."
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