The United States has announced visa restrictions on 13 individuals linked to Indian online pharmacy KS International Traders for allegedly selling counterfeit prescription pills mixed with fentanyl.
According to the US State Department, those targeted are close associates of the Mumbai-based company and its owner. The firmâs website, listed in US government records, was inaccessible, while details regarding its senior executives were not publicly available.
Indiaâs foreign and health ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The State Department said KS International Traders earned revenue through fentanyl trafficking, a substance President Donald Trump has labelled a âweapon of mass destructionâ.
Fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid used medically for pain relief, is heavily regulated in the United States due to its connection to rising overdose deaths caused by illegal use.
âIllicit fentanyl is killing too many Americans. Those complicit in poisoning Americans will be denied entry to the United States,â State Department spokesperson Thomas Pigott said in a statement.
US authorities had previously sanctioned KS International Traders and two Indian nationals last year for allegedly supplying counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills.
The State Department said the company distributed hundreds of thousands of fake prescription pills containing illicit fentanyl across the United States, negatively impacting families and communities.
Last year, Washington also introduced a new visa restriction policy aimed at curbing the trafficking of fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the country.
