“This action underscores the United States’ and India’s enduring and shared commitment to dismantling illicit drug entities and disrupting trafficking networks that harm Americans. Those complicit in poisoning Americans will be denied entry to the United States,” Pigott added.This is not the first action by the US government against KS International Traders. Last September, the Treasury Department sanctioned the company and two individuals linked to it—Khizar Mohammad Iqbal Shaikh and Sadiq Abbas Habib Sayyed.According to US records, Shaikh, born in 1991, is currently in Mumbai. Sayyed, born in 1985, goes by a number of other names according to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).The Mumbai-based online pharmacy’s website, as listed in US documents, was not accessible Tuesday.Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used primarily as a pain reliever. It is approximately 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. The drug is addictive and is usually mixed with other compounds.The US has been grappling with an opioid crisis for the last few years. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, synthetic opioid overdose accounted for roughly 38,000 deaths in 2025, far higher than any other type of drug overdose. Overall, overdose deaths reported in the US stood at around 77,000 in 2025.India is considered a major source of fentanyl precursor chemicals after China, according to annual intelligence assessment reports published by the US government. Precursor chemicals also have legitimate industrial uses, despite being exploited by certain firms. New Delhi has long cooperated with Washington to curb the flow of precursor chemicals.India has emerged as an important hub for the sale of precursor chemicals to Mexican cartels to manufacture fentanyl, according to the US Treasury Department.These cartels allegedly procure precursor chemicals from online pharmacies such as KS International Traders, before using them in their clandestine laboratories. Eventually, fentanyl makes it across the border into the US.Last year, the US government also accused KS International Traders of sending illicit fentanyl-laced pills into the country, while labelling them as a generic medicine.“These pills frequently resemble brand name and generic medication. U.S. consumers, believing they are purchasing from legitimate pharmacies, fall victim to the dangerous operations of these deceptive pharmacies,” OFAC said in a statement, sanctioning the pharmacy in September 2025.“Instead of delivering the safe products they are marketing to buyers, these illegal online pharmacies work with drug traffickers to fulfill orders with counterfeit pills, which are often laced with illicit synthetic drugs,” it added.