Thu Sep 25 05:16:46 UTC 2025: **Here’s a summary:**
The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned two Indian nationals and an India-based online pharmacy for allegedly supplying counterfeit prescription pills laced with fentanyl and other illicit drugs to the U.S. market. Sadiq Abbas Habib Sayyed and Khizar Mohammad Iqbal Shaikh are accused of pushing hundreds of thousands of fake pills, marketed as legitimate medicines, containing fentanyl and methamphetamine into the U.S. market. The U.S. Treasury claims these actions contribute to the opioid crisis in the U.S., which has caused numerous deaths. The individuals had already been indicted in the U.S. in 2024. The action falls under the U.S.-India Drug Policy Framework.
**Here’s a news article based on the information:**
**U.S. Sanctions Indian Nationals, Pharmacy, in Fentanyl Trafficking Crackdown**
**Washington D.C. -** The United States Department of the Treasury has levied sanctions against two Indian nationals and an India-based online pharmacy for their alleged involvement in supplying counterfeit prescription pills laced with fentanyl and other dangerous drugs to victims in the United States. The action, announced Wednesday, September 24, 2025, aims to combat the ongoing opioid crisis plaguing the U.S.
The individuals sanctioned are Sadiq Abbas Habib Sayyed and Khizar Mohammad Iqbal Shaikh. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) accuses them of being key figures in an international network responsible for pushing “hundreds of thousands” of fake pills, marketed as legitimate medications, into the U.S. market. Analysis of the pills revealed the presence of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and methamphetamine.
“Too many families have been torn apart by fentanyl. Today, we are acting to hold accountable those who profit from this poison,” stated U.S. Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, John K. Hurley. He emphasized the Treasury’s commitment to pursuing traffickers as part of the “Make America Fentanyl Free” initiative.
Authorities claim that Sayyed and Shaikh collaborated with traffickers in the Dominican Republic and the U.S. to distribute the counterfeit drugs, using encrypted messaging platforms to market them as discounted pharmaceuticals. Both men had already been indicted in September 2024 by a federal grand jury in New York on narcotics-related charges.
Mr. Shaikh also owns KS International Traders, operating as KS Pharmacy, has also been designated by the Treasury for its role in facilitating the criminal operation. Despite the previous indictment, officials stated the platform continued to function.
The U.S. Treasury highlighted the broader role of online suppliers, including those operating from India, in fueling the fentanyl epidemic. These suppliers are alleged to target American consumers directly and supply precursor chemicals to Mexican cartels, which operate clandestine fentanyl production laboratories.
This action is being taken under the U.S.-India Drug Policy Framework, aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two nations in combating global drug trafficking, improving public health, and securing supply chains. The framework underscores the commitment of both countries to addressing the fentanyl crisis and its devastating consequences.
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