New Delhi: The US Department of Treasury has sanctioned two Indian nationals for what it termed as “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.”

“Too many families have been torn apart by fentanyl. Today, we are acting to hold accountable those who profit from this poison. Treasury will continue to advance President Trump’s commitment to Make America Fentanyl Free by targeting drug traffickers,” said John K. Hurley, under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

The two Indian nationals have been identified as Sadiq Abbas Habib Sayyed and Khizar Mohammad Iqbal Shaikh, said the US Department of Treasury in a statement.

The statement said that the India-based Sayyed and 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,” said the Department of Treasury in its statement.

The duo was previously indicted in September 2024 on narcotics-related charges by a federal grand jury sitting in the Southern District of New York.

“In addition, Shaikh is the owner of KS International Traders (a.k.a. “KS Pharmacy”), a purported online pharmacy used in furtherance of Shaikh’s criminal activities.  Even after being exposed for his criminal activity in in DOJ’s 2024 indictment, Shaikh continues to operate KS International Traders,” the statement added.

Fentanyl has been the primary driver of the synthetic opioid crisis, which is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans, said the statement.

“Opioid overdose remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45.  Under the U.S.-India Drug Policy Framework, the United States 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,” the statement added.

The Department of Treasury stated that in the last few years, online suppliers of controlled substances, including from India, have contributed to the fentanyl crisis by supplying illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, as well as related precursor chemicals, to the US.

“Separately, Mexican cartels acquire precursor chemicals from these online suppliers for use in their clandestine fentanyl laboratories. Today’s action spotlights the role of illegal online pharmacies, some of which are based in India, that are responsible for supplying counterfeit pills to individuals worldwide, including U.S. consumers,” added the statement.

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