A 37-year-old businessman from Gujarat has been sentenced to 54 months in prison in the United States for smuggling chemical precursors used to manufacture fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid.
Bhavesh Lathiya, founder of Surat-based Raxuter Chemicals, pleaded guilty in April to smuggling and distributing precursor chemicals, knowing they would be used to manufacture fentanyl. US District Judge Pamela K Chen also ordered him to forfeit $24,560 and said he would be deported after completing his prison sentence.
Surat company supplied fentanyl precursors
According to court filings, Raxuter Chemicals supplied more than 50 pounds of chemicals commonly used in fentanyl production to buyers in the US and Mexico.
Prosecutors said the company used international mail and package carriers to ship the chemicals. Some consignments were allegedly mislabelled and accompanied by false customs declarations to avoid detection.
In one shipment delivered to New York on June 29, 2024, the package was declared as ‘Vitamin C’. Investigators found 1-Boc-4-piperidone, a regulated chemical used as a fentanyl precursor.
Undercover operation exposed alleged shipments
US investigators also recorded Lathiya discussing chemical sales with an undercover officer during video calls in October 2024.
According to court documents, he agreed to sell 20 kilograms of 1-Boc-4-piperidone and proposed describing it as an antacid to reduce scrutiny. In November 2024, the chemical was allegedly shipped to New York under the false description.
US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr said Lathiya supplied chemical ingredients during a fentanyl overdose crisis and described the sentence as a warning to precursor traffickers.
Homeland Security Investigations said the case was significant because it targeted the supply chain before fentanyl could be manufactured and distributed. Officials said the investigation demonstrated efforts to disrupt the illegal drug trade at the stage where chemical building blocks enter the supply chain.