Gujarat Businessman Sentenced to Four Years in US Prison Over Fentanyl Smuggling
· World · Indian Express, India Today
Bhavesh Lathiya, a 37-year-old businessman from Gujarat, has been sentenced to 54 months in US federal prison for smuggling precursor chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl. Lathiya founded and led Surat-based Raxuter Chemicals, which supplied more than 50 pounds of restricted chemical precursors to buyers in the United States and Mexico. US District Judge Pamela K Chen ordered Lathiya to pay a forfeiture of $24,560 and mandated his deportation upon completion of his prison term. Prosecutors stated that Raxuter Chemicals falsified customs declarations and mislabelled shipments, including a June 2024 delivery declared as Vitamin C that contained the banned substance 1-Boc-4-piperidone. Homeland Security Investigations agents recorded Lathiya discussing chemical sales over video calls with an undercover officer in October 2024.
Why it matters
This case highlights international law enforcement coordination against cross-border supply chains fueling the synthetic opioid crisis in North America.
Read the original report — Indian Express
Join us on Telegram
Breaking news the moment it lands. At 10,000 members we ship the Android app.