An indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court charges the China-based chemical company Hubei Amarvel Biotech Co. as well as three company executives with fentanyl trafficking, precursor chemical importation and money laundering.
Prosecutors said Amarvel Biotech used deceptive practices to evade authorities, such as advertising that it could disguise its products as dog food, nuts or motor oil to ensure “safe” delivery to the United States and Mexico.
Interesting. The US is not taking them to court for simply ‘making fentanyl’, which obviously isn’t a crime, but with specific trafficking charges and even money laundering.
In a statement, Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy, charged U.S. prosecutors with imposing a “long-arm jurisdiction," adding that the move could harm counter-narcotics operations between the two countries.
“The incident was a well-planned entrapment operation by the US side, which seriously infringed upon the legitimate rights of relevant enterprises and individuals,” the spokesperson said. “China strongly condemns it.”
Weird line to take. There’s nothing wrong with China legitimately producing pharmaceuticals which are in demand in other countries, but there is a lot wrong with money laundering and drug trafficking. It’s no use saying, ‘it’s not fair for you to catch us in the act!’
