Fake Zksync.jp Token Tied to Fentanyl-Linked Crypto Fraud

A network linked to fentanyl precursor exports has been tied to a large-scale crypto fraud operation using a fake token in Japan. The alleged scheme, uncovered by Nikkei, used Japanese domains and a fake Zksync.jp token to deceive users worldwide online.

The report identified Hubei Amarvel Biotech, a Wuhan-based chemical company, as the center of the network. In 2025, two Amarvel executives were convicted of conspiring to import a fentanyl precursor chemical and conspiring to launder money. A Nagoya-based company called Firsky served as a Japanese front for the network.

Nikkei mapped fund flows tied to Amarvel and its Japan-linked base using wallet addresses disclosed in U.S. court evidence. More than 120 crypto transactions connected the network to entities under U.S. sanctions, described as evidence of money laundering.