The US on Friday booked five Chinese foreign nationals and two Chinese entities under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.
"The Department of State joins the Department of the Treasury in announcing the designation of five People's Republic of China foreign nationals -- Ji Songyan, Zhan Longbao, Cheng Guifeng, Zheng Guangfu, and Hu Qi -- and two Chinese entities -- Wuhan Livika Technology Co. Ltd., and Global United Biotechnology Inc. -- for their support to and involvement in the international drug trafficking operations of Chinese synthetic opioid traffickers Zheng Fujing and Yan Xiaobing and the Zheng Drug Trafficking Orgsation (DTO). These designations are made pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act)," US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said at a press briefing.
In August 2019, the Department of the Treasury had identified PRC national Fujing Zheng and the Zheng DTO as important foreign narcotics traffickers pursuant to the Kingpin Act.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also designated Guanghua Zheng, a PRC national, for his support to the Zheng DTO's drug trafficking activities; Qinsheng Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., a Chinese entity, for being owned or controlled by Fujing Zheng; and Xiaobing Yan, a PRC national, as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker pursuant to the Kingpin Act.
"Today's action is part of a continued whole-of-government effort to crack down on fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, trafficked from China, that have claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans," Pompeo added.
( With inputs from ANI )