Washington DC [US], September 25 (ANI): The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on two Indian nationals- Sadiq Abbas Habib Sayyed and Khizar Mohammad Iqbal Shaikh- along with an India-based online pharmacy, KS International Traders, for their roles in supplying hundreds of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills laced with fentanyl and other illicit drugs to victims across the United States.

The action, announced on Wednesday, targets the growing threat of illegal online pharmacies contributing to the US opioid crisis.

'The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two Indian nationals, Sadiq Abbas Habib Sayyed and Khizar Mohammad Iqbal Shaikh, for their role in collectively supplying hundreds of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills filled with fentanyl and other illicit drugs to victims across the United States. OFAC is also designating one India-based online pharmacy for its role in these criminal operations,' a statement from the department read.

'Too many families have been torn apart by fentanyl. Today, we are acting to hold accountable those who profit from this poison,' said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K Hurley.

'Treasury will continue to advance President Trump's commitment to Make America Fentanyl Free by targeting drug traffickers,' Hurley said.

According to the Department of Treasury, Sayyed and Shaikh collaborated with narcotics traffickers in the Dominican Republic and the US to market counterfeit pills as legitimate pharmaceutical products, such as Oxycodone, Adderall, and Xanax, which were instead filled with dangerous substances like fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and methamphetamine.

The duo used encrypted messaging platforms to conduct their illegal operations. Both were previously indicted in September 2024 by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York on narcotics-related charges.

'Based in India, Sadiq Abbas Habib Sayyed (Sayyed) and Khizar Mohammed Iqbal Shaikh (Shaikh) worked with Dominican Republic- and U.S.-based narcotics traffickers to sell counterfeit pills to Americans. Sayyed and Shaikh marketed and sold these pills as discounted, legitimate pharmaceutical products, which were instead filled with illicit drugs like fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, and methamphetamine. Both Sayyed and Shaikh have used encrypted messaging platforms to conduct their illegal business and market their product to victims,' the statement read.

According to the statement, Shaikh, the owner of KS International Traders, also known as KS Pharmacy, continued operating the online pharmacy despite the indictment.

The Treasury highlighted the role of illegal online pharmacies, including those based in India, in fuelling the fentanyl crisis by supplying counterfeit pills and precursor chemicals to the US and Mexican cartels.

These operations deceive consumers into believing they are purchasing safe medications, exacerbating the opioid overdose epidemic, which remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45, as per the Treasury Department.

The sanctions target individuals and entities contributing to the international proliferation of illicit drugs. As a result, all property of Sayyed, Shaikh, and KS International Traders in the US or under US control is blocked, and transactions involving them are prohibited unless authorised by OFAC. Violations could lead to civil or criminal penalties.

The action was coordinated with the Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations, and the US Postal Inspection Service. The Treasury noted that the US and India continue to collaborate under the US-India Drug Policy Framework to combat drug trafficking and its global impact.

On October 4, 2024, the DEA issued a warning about the surge in illegal online pharmacies, underscoring the dangers of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine. (ANI)