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Hubei Announces Fentanyl-Precursor Crackdown With 7 Arrested, Over 200 Websites Closed

State media cast the ministry-led campaign as part of a tariff-linked effort to curb precursor exports.

Overview

  • A task force formed in December under a Ministry of Public Security directive has investigated 22 precursor-related cases in Hubei through February, according to Xinhua and Hubei Daily News.
  • Authorities report seven arrests, about a dozen people placed under coercive measures, and penalties issued to four companies.
  • Officials say the campaign targets the full supply chain for fentanyl precursors, including production, storage and export.
  • In one case, information from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency helped Wuhan police identify a company selling precursors, leading to an arrest with assistance from Shandong police.
  • The announcement follows trade talks and a previously agreed rollback of a fentanyl-specific U.S. tariff to 10%, as Washington and Beijing continue to dispute the scale of China’s role in precursor exports.