Fentanyl Trafficking from China: A New and Escalating Concern
In April, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the US Department of the Treasury released its 2024 report on fentanyl, identifying China as a "major supplier" of precursor materials. The Trump administration imposed additional tariffs of 25% on Mexico and Canada, and 20% on China, citing responsibility for fentanyl inflows. However, it had not previously implicated Japan in any such activities.
On June 26, Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that a Chinese criminal group allegedly set up a fentanyl trafficking base in Nagoya aimed at shipping drugs to the US. Following this, Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa held a press conference on June 30, calling it a "grave issue." He stated that the city would investigate and coordinate with Aichi Prefectural Police.
Hirosawa added that the suspected company had reportedly withdrawn from Nagoya. The mayor also promised to intensify drug-abuse prevention education.
Japanese lawmakers began voicing concerns about fentanyl over a year ago. In a 2024 session, Sohei Kamiya, leader of the Sanseito party, warned that Japan "must not underestimate the threat posed by synthetic opioids like fentanyl." Sohei Kamiya, leader of the Sanseito Party, calling for support on October 26, 2024, in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo (©Sankei)
Citing US data showing over 100,000 opioid-related deaths in both 2021 and 2022, he highlighted the devastating impact of the drug, particularly in cities like Philadelphia. Kamiya expressed concern that fentanyl, sometimes mixed with heroin, methamphetamine, or even animal tranquilizers, could eventually flow into Japan, whether directly or disguised.
He also noted that traffickers were producing chemically altered analogues of fentanyl to evade detection, making enforcement more difficult.
In response to the growing concern, Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato stated on June 27 that no fentanyl had been seized at Japan's borders over the past six years. However, he did not address the issue of precursor chemicals. Those remain a central concern in US intelligence and enforcement reports.
At a separate press briefing, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya declared that any unauthorized import or export of fentanyl "will never be tolerated." He emphasized that Japan will continue working closely with the United States and other countries to combat global trafficking networks.
Retired US Marine Colonel Grant Newsham, a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy, weighed in on recent developments.
He noted that Japan, so far, does not seem to be a primary target of China's fentanyl-based "drug warfare."
"That doesn't mean it can't be — or that other types of drugs like kakuseizai (amphetamines) or cocaine aren't available. But Japan has seen nothing like the full-bore drug assault that the US faces from the Chinese and their Mexican partners."
Newsham pointed out that Chinese fentanyl has already killed well over half a million Americans since 2013, and victims rendered into near-zombie states number at least ten times that. The societal and economic fallout, he stressed, is immense.
"Why hasn't Japan been targeted like the US? Maybe because it isn't the 'main enemy.' That's the US, as the PRC sees it. Weaken the US, and Japan becomes easier to dominate," he said. US Customs and Border Protection officers seize nearly $4.6 million worth of fentanyl and methamphetamine, totaling 650 pounds, at the Port of Nogales. January 26, 2019 (Wikimedia Commons)
Newsham also suggested cultural factors may play a role. Japan's societal structure may offer some resistance to the kind of widespread drug abuse that has affected the US since the 1970s.
Regarding the newly reported drug route, he remarked, "This might just be one more channel in a vast logistical operation stretching from China to Mexico and increasingly to Canada. It may not be a major route. Overusing it could attract too much attention, especially if Japanese customs are more diligent than most."
Newsham added, "I'm not sure the US authorities will blame Japan much for this. It's not as if they've been able to stop the flow from anywhere else."
His final note was blunt: "One thing Japan needs to do is really crack down on Chinese people in Japan, especially those doing business. It's a pretty safe environment with little chance of being caught if you're doing something illegal."
Author: Daniel Manning
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