U.S. Treasury blacklists cryptocurrency addresses associated with Chinese “drug kingpins…

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took actions against three Chinese nationals, who it alleges manufactured and distributed “synthetic opioids or their precursor chemicals.” According to OFAC, the individuals laundered part of their drug proceeds in bitcoin, transmitting these proceed in and out of banks in China and Hong Kong. As a result of its investigation, OFAC has also identified a handful of bitcoin and litecoin wallet addresses associated with these individuals, which it has added to its sanctions list.

“The Chinese kingpins that OFAC designated today run an international drug trafficking operation that manufactures and sells lethal narcotics, directly contributing to the crisis of opioid addiction, overdoses, and death in the United States.  Zheng and Yan have shipped hundreds of packages of synthetic opioids to the U.S., targeting customers through online advertising and sales, and using commercial mail carriers to smuggle their drugs…