Japanese Company at Center of Fentanyl Network's Crypto-Fraud Inquiry

A Japanese company called Firsky KK has been linked to a Chinese network accused of fentanyl precursor sales and money laundering. The connection is through a web of companies, websites, and digital payments, according to a Nikkei Asia investigation.

The Japan-based corporate trail centers on Fengzhi Xia, who was allegedly the 'boss in Japan' for Firsky, according to U.S. court materials. Firsky was registered in Nagoya, but its China-facing materials presented it as a Japanese-owned supplier.

A previous investigation found that Firsky and Amarvel Biotech, a Wuhan chemical supplier, were tied through domains, archived ads, phone numbers, sales identities, images, and product listings. The same investigation found that Chen Yiyi, an executive at Amarvel, registered domains connected to Firsky and another company.

The suspected crypto-fraud activity in Japan is significant because it allegedly gave the network a cleaner commercial front in a country not widely associated with fentanyl precursor exports. It also created another jurisdictional layer between Chinese suppliers, U.S.-directed shipments, online storefronts, and digital-payment activity.