Chemical weapon for sale: China’s unregulated narcoticSHANGHAI — It’s one of the strongest opioids in circulation, so deadly an amount smaller than a poppy seed can kill a person. In China, the top global source of synthetic drugs, carfentanil is not a controlled substance. “It’s a weapon,” said Andrew Weber, assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs from 2009 to 2014. Several vendors contacted in September were willing to export carfentanil but refused to provide the far less potent acetylfentanyl. Five offered fentanyl and two offered alpha-PVP, commonly known as flakka, which are also controlled substances in China.

Source: Manila Bulletin October 07, 2016 05:26 UTC