This archive report was first published on 7 November 2019.
Published on November 7, 2019, a joint investigation between Chinese and American law enforcement agencies led to the conviction and death sentence of Wang Fengxi, a man accused of trafficking fentanyl to the United States.
Wang Fengxi, the leader of an illicit network of labs, produced and shipped packages of fentanyl to American users who placed orders online through a dealer known as 'Diana.'
According to Chinese and American officials, the network evaded China's strict controls on pharmaceutical production and included one lab and two distribution centers in Shanghai and the neighboring province, Jiangsu.
Twelve kilograms, or about 26 pounds, of fentanyl were seized as part of the investigation, which started with an arrest by the Drug Enforcement Administration in New Orleans in August 2017.
Eight other co-defendants were also sentenced on Thursday, including distributors and online sellers, with sentences ranging from six months in prison to life.
China's failure to crack down on fentanyl production is one of many sticking points in its fraying relations with the United States, and the sentences come as Chinese negotiators have been trying to hammer out a trade deal with the American government.
Yu Haibin, the deputy director of China's National Narcotics Control Commission, said at a news conference in Xingtai following the court's sentencing hearing, 'The successful outcome of this case, especially the heavy sentences to the main criminals and others, fully demonstrates the position and determination of the Chinese government to severely punish fentanyl-related crimes.'
