US slaps sanctions on Chinese firms in crackdown on deadly drugs
- Up to US$5 million has been offered for the arrest of Chuen Fat Yip for alleged production of anabolic steroids and sale of fentanyl ingredients
- In addition to Chinese painkiller makers, the measures target criminal gangs in Mexico and Brazil
The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Chinese painkiller makers as it vowed to step up action to curb the addiction epidemic that killed a record 100,000 Americans last year.
The actions “will help disrupt the global supply chain and the financial networks that enable synthetic opioids and precursor chemicals to reach the United States”, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
Under the new executive order, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on four Chinese chemical companies and one individual, Chuen Fat Yip, whom it described as “one of the largest, if not the largest, producer of anabolic steroids in the world”.
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The State Department also put up a reward offer of up to US$5 million for the arrest of the 68-year-old, who is believed to live in Wuhan.
