The U.S. has once again raised concerns about fentanyl trafficking and its supply chain, placing India alongside China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan on the Major’s List of drug transit and production countries. This has sparked debate about India’s role, fentanyl precursors, and why regulating this trade is so challenging.
What is the Major’s List?
- The Major’s List is compiled annually by the U.S. President and sent to Congress.
- It identifies countries where geography, commerce, or industry make them significant producers or transit points of narcotics and precursor chemicals.
- Importantly, inclusion on the list does not necessarily mean weak anti-drug policies. Instead, it reflects whether drugs or chemicals linked to narcotics are produced or trafficked in “important quantities.”
- However, some countries (like Afghanistan, Bolivia, Myanmar, Colombia, and Venezuela) are singled out as having “failed demonstrably” in meeting international drug-control obligations.
What is Fentanyl?
- Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid first developed in the 1960s for medical use, prescribed for severe pain management.
- It is 50 times more potent than heroin. Just 2 mg can be fatal.
- Fentanyl works by binding to mu-opioid receptors in the brain, depressing respiratory functions.
- In overdoses, patients can die within minutes from respiratory failure, unless treated quickly with naloxone, a life-saving antidote.
- According to U.S. data, 57,000+ Americans died of opioid overdoses between August 2023–August 2024, mostly due to fentanyl.
Why is Fentanyl Hard to Regulate?
- Unlike heroin or cocaine (plant-derived), fentanyl is lab-made using chemical precursors.
- The most important precursors are:
- N-phenethyl-4-piperidone (NPP)
- 4-anilino-N-phenethylpiperidine (4-ANPP)
- These precursors have legitimate pharmaceutical and industrial uses, but can be diverted to illegal labs.
- Fentanyl synthesis requires only basic lab equipment and small precursor amounts, making it cheap, compact, and hard to detect.
- Shipments can be disguised and transported in small packages, complicating regulation.
India’s Role in the Supply Chain
- India, along with China, is a major producer of precursor chemicals.
- While most of this trade is legal, some precursors get diverted into illicit supply chains.
- The supply chain works like this:
- China/India: Precursor chemicals produced.
- Mexican cartels: Convert precursors into fentanyl powder.
- Smuggling: Powder is pressed into counterfeit pills or mixed with drugs like heroin.
- Entry into the U.S.: Mostly through the U.S.-Mexico border.
Recent U.S. Action on Indian Companies
- In January 2025, two Indian firms — Raxuter Chemicals and Athos Chemicals — were charged with conspiring to export fentanyl precursors to the U.S. and Mexico.
- Bhavesh Lathiya, a senior executive at Raxuter Chemicals, was arrested in New York on smuggling charges.
- Following this, the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi revoked and denied visas to certain Indian business executives tied to the fentanyl trade.
Key Takeaways
- India is not accused of producing fentanyl itself but of being a significant source of precursor chemicals.
- Fentanyl is harder to regulate than plant-based drugs because its precursors have dual-use value.
- The U.S. fentanyl crisis is severe, with tens of thousands of deaths yearly.
- Mexican cartels are central to converting precursors into illicit fentanyl.
- U.S. pressure on India may increase, combining criminal prosecutions, trade restrictions, and visa bans.
✅ Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only. It explains India’s position on the U.S. fentanyl blacklist in the context of global drug supply chains and should not be seen as a political judgment.
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