US takes aim at deadly Chinese fentanyl networks

The US Treasury took action Wednesday to crack down on Chinese traffickers of deadly fentanyl, sanctioning producer-exporters and warning banks on financial schemes used to distribute the synthetic opioid behind thousands of US overdose deaths.

The Treasury identified Zheng Fujing, 36, and a company he controls, Qinsheng Pharmaceutical Technology, and a partner, Zheng Guanghua, as a major, Shanghai-based production fentanyl production and trafficking organization.

The Zheng drug trafficking organisation, the Treasury said, produced and shipped hundreds of controlled substances, including fentanyl analogues such as carfentanil, which is 100 times more potent than fentanyl.

"Zheng created and maintained numerous websites to advertise and sell illegal drugs in more than 35 languages," it said.

Moreover, it said, Zheng was producing counterfeit cancer pills that replace the active cancer-fighting ingredient with "dangerous synthetic drugs."