US says it is imposing visa restrictions on 13 linked to India-based KS International over fentanyl allegations

The United States on May 12 said it is moving to impose visa restrictions on 13 individuals linked to India-based KS International Traders. The US accused the online pharmacy of selling counterfeit prescription pills laced with illicit fentanyl to customers in the US, calling it part of a trafficking network that is “devastating families and communities nationwide.”“Illicit fentanyl is killing too many Americans,” the US State Department said, adding that sanctioned online pharmacies like KS International Traders had allegedly sold “hundreds of thousands” of counterfeit pills containing the drug across the country.

The department said the action was being taken under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and targets close business associates of the firm and its owner.
It said KS International Traders generated revenue through fentanyl trafficking, which the US administration has designated a Weapon of Mass Destruction.Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50–100 times more potent than morphine and is used medically in controlled settings for severe pain, including post-surgery and cancer treatment.

In a separate enforcement step in 2025, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had designated KS International Traders as part of an illicit fentanyl trafficking network.What we know about the company and operators

According to OFAC’s designation, KS International Traders is a Mumbai-based online pharmacy that allegedly sold counterfeit prescription drugs containing fentanyl, fentanyl analogues and methamphetamine, primarily to customers in the US.

The Treasury identified Khizar Mohammad Iqbal Shaikh as the owner and operator of the firm and Sadiq Abbas Habib Sayyed as an associated network participant.

The US alleged the operation sold counterfeit versions of drugs including oxycodone, Xanax and Adderall, and shipped hundreds of thousands of pills to US customers.

US government records describe KS International Traders as a “purported online pharmacy” established in December 2022. Authorities allege it functioned as a front for illicit pharmaceutical distribution rather than a legitimate retail pharmacy.

The website mentioned in US government records, ksinternationalpharmacy.com, could not be accessed from India at the time of reporting.