DEA arrests Chinese national suspected of supplying fentanyl to US Breaking News Jul 27, 2017

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently arrested a suspected Chinese fentanyl dealer in Massachusetts. The accused, Bin Wang (42), allegedly smuggled fentanyl, carfentanil and other synthetic opioids from Massachusetts into Ohio.

After China cracked the whip on illegal production of powerful opioids earlier this year, this is the first time that a Chinese national has been arrested in the U.S. A spate of fatal overdoses in the state last year led to a joint investigation by the DEA and an Ohio drug task force that helped unearth the racket.

According to DEA special agent Matthew Fitzpatrick, a clever investigation led to the arrest of the Chinese national involved in fentanyl smuggling. Undercover agents placed an order of synthetic opioids and other drugs with a man in China using the name “Gordon Jin,” which seemed to be a fake name and based on the popular alcohol brand Gordon’s Gin.

The investigators intercepted a string of emails exchanged between Wang and “Gordon Jin.” Interestingly, an email used by “Gordon Jin,” led to a website www.goldenrc.com, which was involved in the sale of fentanyl, bath salts, designer drugs and K2.

The investigators found that the modus operandi was simple. “Gordon Jin” in China would courier drugs via FedEx to Wang, who then stacked them at a warehouse in Massachusetts, before allegedly sending them to numerous locations in Northeast Ohio for distribution.

Fentanyl mainly sourced from China

The acting U.S. Attorney in northern Ohio, David Sierleja, expressed his concern that opioids killing thousands of Americans came from China. “Shutting down this pipeline will help in our efforts to turn the tide on the opioid epidemic. We will focus on prevention, education, and aggressive law enforcement, both here and around the world,” he told the VICE News.

The probe into the case also helped the investigators know about other unscrupulous Chinese websites involved in selling synthetic opioids to the Americans, including one directly linked to a couple of deaths in Summit County, Ohio, in 2015. Drug overdoses are one of the leading causes of death in the United States for people under the age of 50, with northern Ohio being the worst hit by the opioid epidemic.

Talking to the VICE News, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in northern Ohio, Mike Tobin, said a lot of fentanyl and analogs come from China, yet this is the first time that authorities noticed something like this, where fentanyl is distributed on a wholesale level.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse describes Fentanyl as a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is a Schedule II prescription drug. However, there is a gross misuse of fentanyl, which can have grave consequences.

Dealing with addiction

Seeking immediate treatment is the only way to gain sobriety for people abusing any substance. One should not delay treatment or things can get out of hand.

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