WASHINGTON, Oct 16: Cracking down on international synthetic drug trafficking, the US has labelled a Chinese national and his company as specially designated narcotics trafficker.
Since 2011, Bo Peng has used Kaikai Technology Co Ltd to distribute to the US and other countries worldwide at least 2,000 kilograms of synthetic cannabinoids (commonly known as synthetic marijuana) and synthetic cathinones (or stimulants, such as bath salts), which are generally classified as Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substances in the US, the Department of Treasury said.
Bo, 31, has been labelled as specially designated narcotics trafficker, it said.
In May 2015, a grand jury in the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida indicted Bo on charges of importing and conspiring to import ethylone and the Schedule I controlled substance methylone.
“The synthetic drug industry is a thriving and lucrative criminal enterprise, and poses an alarming threat to the health and safety of Americans,” said John E Smith, Acting Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
“Today’s action exposes Bo Peng’s illicit synthetic drug operations and cuts off his access to the international financial system,” he said.
As a result of OFAC’s action, all their assets are under the jurisdiction of the US or in the control of US citizens are frozen, they are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.
Meanwhile the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), along with other federal, state, and local law enforcement concluded a 15-month, nationwide drug interdiction effort that resulted in 151 arrests in 16 states.
The enforcement action, known as Project Synergy III, targeted the synthetic designer drug industry, including wholesalers, money launderers and other criminal facilitators.
In addition to curbing the flow of synthetic drugs into the country, Project Synergy III continues to report the flow of millions of dollars in US synthetic drug proceeds to countries of concern in the Middle East. (PTI)
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