Authorities' crackdown on smuggling of fentanyl-related substances continues

China is upholding strict regulation and adopting comprehensive measures to crack down on the smuggling of fentanyl-related substances, an official from the General Administration of Customs said on Monday.

The official's remarks, made in a written response to questions from journalists and published on the administration's website, outlined four key strategies in the country's intense fentanyl crackdown.

First, customs authorities are strengthening risk analysis and assessment to target fentanyl smuggling, identifying key threats and increasing inspection efforts, the official said.

Second, they are enhancing the use of CT scan and X-ray inspection equipment, while optimizing intelligent image analysis algorithms to more accurately detect concealment, according to the official.

Third, suspicious goods flagged by these machines are being placed under manual checks to uncover any hidden, false, or undeclared items.

Fourth, customs officers are improving enforcement capabilities through ongoing training programs for frontline personnel.

The official also detailed China's regulation on customs declaration and export of fentanyl and its related substances. Fentanyl and its related substances with medicinal properties, including alfentanil, remifentanil and sufentanil, are managed as narcotic drugs under the 2013 edition of the catalogue of narcotic drugs.

According to China's drug administration law, the import and export of narcotics and psychotropic substances within the scope specified by the country require licenses issued by the national medical product regulatory authorities, the official said.

Individuals carrying these drugs across borders for medical treatment must present a medical certificate issued by a healthcare institution, prescribing the dosage, as well as a personal identification document, the official added.

Medical personnel carrying small amounts of these drugs for medical use must hold a certificate issued by provincial or higher-level drug regulatory authorities to obtain customs clearance. For research, experimentation, pharmaceutical production, or other uses involving fentanyl-related substances, relevant regulations apply.

Since 2013, China has implemented strict regulations on the production, operation, transportation, use, and import and export of fentanyl and its three related substances, according to the Office of China National Narcotics Control Commission.

In 2019, China became the first country to add all fentanyl-related substances to its supplementary list of controlled narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances with nonmedical use.

The classification prohibits any entity or individual from producing, buying, selling, transporting, using, storing, or importing and exporting these drugs, according to a statement issued by a commission spokesperson in early March.

For fentanyl precursor chemicals, China enforces a tiered and classified regulatory system, covering production, operation, purchase and transportation, with import and export subject to approval and international verification, the spokesperson said.

Since China imposed comprehensive controls on fentanyl-related substances in 2019, authorities have not detected any criminal cases involving the smuggling or trafficking of these substances abroad, according to the spokesperson.

China is willing to work with other countries to address new challenges in drug control, including those related to fentanyl, and will continue to fulfill its international drug control obligations, the spokesperson added.

jiangchenglong@chinadaily.com.cn