US to impose visa curbs on 13 people linked to Indian firm over fentanyl

The United States has said it was imposing visa restrictions on 13 people linked to Indian online pharmacy KS International Traders for selling counterfeit prescription pills laced with fentanyl.



The 13 people are close associates of KS International Traders, which operates out of India, and its owner, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday.



The Mumbai-based company's web site, as listed in U.S. government records, could not be accessed. No names or contacts of its senior executives were available.



India's foreign and health ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.



KS International Traders generated revenue through trafficking in fentanyl, which President Donald Trump has designated as a "weapon of mass destruction", the State Department said.



Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid used for pain relief, but it is tightly restricted in the United States because of its high potency and its role in a surge in overdose deaths linked to illicit use.