US Lauds India’s Cooperation in Arrest of Drug Precursor Smugglers

The Trump administration has tightened its chokehold on drugs.

In a post on X, the US Embassy in India said, "The United States deeply appreciates our partnership with Indian law enforcement, which was instrumental in disrupting key elements of this criminal network distributing precursor chemicals to cartels that manufacture and traffic illegal drugs into the United States."

The statement said that the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on April 23 designated Satishkumar Hareshbhai Sutaria for assisting in the production of illicit fentanyl.

"Today, OFAC designated Satishkumar Hareshbhai Sutaria (Sutaria), an India-based pharmaceutical chemicals supplier trading in fentanyl precursors for use in the production of illicit fentanyl. With salesperson Yuktakumari Ashishkumar Modi (Modi), Sutaria facilitates sales and shipments of these precursors to Mexico and Guatemala, including N-Boc-4-Piperidone, and mislabels them as 'safe chemicals.'," the statement read.

It further said that Sutaria's accomplice, Yuktakumari Ashishkumar Modi, used Indian pharmaceutical companies for transactions and was arrested by Indian government.

"Sutaria and Modi have used SR Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals (SR Chemicals) and Agrat Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals (Agrat Chemicals), both India-based pharmaceutical chemical companies, to conduct these transactions. Sutaria and Modi were arrested in March 2025 by Indian authorities for this activity," as per the statement.

"OFAC designated Sutaria, Modi, SR Chemicals, and Agrat Chemicals pursuant to E.O. 14059 for having engaged in, or attempted to engage in, activities or transactions that have materially contributed to, or pose a significant risk of materially contributing to, the international proliferation of illicit drugs or their means of production," the statement added.

All property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50% or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked, the statement said.

Unless authorised by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC's regulations generally prohibit all transactions by US persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons.

- ANI