As seizures top 400 in US China carfentanil trade thrives
SHANGHAI — Seizures of the deadly chemical carfentanil have exploded across the United States, with more than 400 cases documented in eight states since July, The Associated Press has found.
Fueled by a thriving trade out of China, the weapons-grade chemical is suspected in hundreds of drug overdoses in North America. An a href=’https://apnews.com/7c85cda5658e46f3a3be95a367f727e6/Chemical-weapon-for-sale:-China’s-unregulated-narcotic’AP investigation/a last month showed how easily carfentanil can be purchased online from China. Of the 12 companies that initially offered to export carfentanil, just three have stopped. Nine continue to offer carfentanil for sale, no questions asked, and the AP identified four additional companies willing to sell the drug.
Asked for comment, most denied making the offers.
Jilin Tely Import and Export Co. initially claimed in an email that carfentanil was one of its “hot sales product.” After being named in AP’s story, the company’s website vanished and it denied ever producing carfentanil.