US Identifies Japan as Fentanyl Transit Point for the First Time, Partners with Coast Guard for Crackdown

A senior official from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) stated today that the synthetic drug fentanyl is passing through Japan into the United States. This is the first time US authorities have identified Japan as a transit point for fentanyl smuggling. David King, the DEA's Asia-Pacific Regional Director, said in Tokyo that Japan is becoming a transit hub used by drug trafficking organizations to bypass security checks. He pointed out that commercial cargo shipped from Japan to the US is not subject to the same level of strict inspection as cargo originating from China. However, King noted that Japan is not a producer of fentanyl, with raw materials primarily manufactured in China and India. The DEA and the Japan Coast Guard have signed a memorandum of cooperation to strengthen the fight against drug smuggling, including fentanyl, by enhancing intelligence sharing.