The United States Treasury Department has taken decisive action against two Indian nationals and an India-based online pharmacy accused of fueling America’s deadly opioid crisis. The sanctions, announced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), target Sadiq Abbas Habib Sayyed and Khizar Mohammad Iqbal Shaikh, along with Shaikh’s firm, KS International Traders, which operated under the guise of a legitimate online pharmacy.
According to US officials, the accused marketed their products as safe and genuine pharmaceuticals but were in fact supplying counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and methamphetamine. These drugs, passed off as widely prescribed medications such as oxycodone, amphetamine-based stimulants, and alprazolam, were allegedly distributed through trafficking networks in the Dominican Republic and the United States. The Treasury said that encrypted platforms were used to sell counterfeit medicines directly to American consumers, many of whom believed they were purchasing legitimate prescriptions.
The sanctions, imposed under Executive Order 14059, effectively freeze any assets the individuals or their business may hold within the United States and prohibit American citizens or entities from conducting any business with them. Moreover, any company in which the designated individuals hold a 50% or greater ownership stake will automatically be blocked. OFAC emphasized that enforcement of these rules is carried out on a strict liability basis, meaning penalties may be imposed without requiring proof of intent from those engaging with the sanctioned parties.
Both Sayyed and Shaikh had already been indicted by a federal grand jury in New York in September 2024 on narcotics-related charges. Despite this, officials say Shaikh continued operating KS International Traders (also known as KS Pharmacy), extending its role in a wider international trafficking network. This persistence after indictment demonstrated the scale and brazenness of their operations.
The Treasury stressed that online pharmacies like KS International Traders remain a major source of counterfeit pills entering the US market. By mimicking the appearance of legitimate prescription drugs, such fakes easily deceive unsuspecting customers, often with deadly consequences. Fentanyl, in particular, a synthetic opioid estimated to be up to 50 times stronger than heroin, has devastated communities across the United States. The crisis has reached such proportions that overdoses—driven primarily by fentanyl—have become the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45.
Through these sanctions, the Treasury Department signaled its intent not only to disrupt the operations of Sayyed, Shaikh, and KS International Traders but also to send a broader warning to international drug traffickers exploiting digital platforms to push counterfeit medicines. The move underscores Washington’s continuing efforts to choke off global supply chains that contribute to the ongoing opioid epidemic ravaging the country.
