China has introduced new rules for handling criminal cases involving fentanyl-related substances as authorities seek to strengthen enforcement against illegal drug production and trafficking.
The guidelines were issued by China’s top judicial and security agencies. They provide clearer instructions on how authorities should investigate and prosecute offences involving fentanyl and related substances.
The new rules come as fentanyl remains a major issue in relations between China and the United States. The administration of US President Donald Trump has been pressing China to take stronger action against the supply of chemicals that can be used to manufacture fentanyl.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid. In the United States, illegally produced fentanyl has been linked to a large number of overdose deaths, making the control of fentanyl and its precursor chemicals a major law-enforcement and public-health concern.
Under the new guidelines, authorities will have clearer standards for determining the quantity of fentanyl-related substances involved in a case. The rules also distinguish between substances intended for medical use and those that are not intended for medical purposes.
Chinese authorities will focus on offences including the illegal manufacture, sale, transportation, smuggling and possession of fentanyl-related substances. The guidelines also cover crimes carried out through the internet, reflecting the growing use of online platforms in illegal drug-related activities.
Investigators will be able to examine digital evidence when investigating such cases. Online communications, transactions and other electronic records may be considered as part of investigations into suspected offences.
China has also expanded its controls on chemicals that can be used to produce illegal drugs. Two additional chemicals were added to the country’s list of controlled drug-production substances on Tuesday.
Exports of the controlled chemicals to countries including the United States, Canada and Mexico will require special approval. The measure is intended to strengthen oversight of chemicals that could potentially be diverted for illegal drug production.
The new criminal-case guidelines and export controls come at an important time in US-China relations, with both countries continuing discussions on trade, security and other areas. Fentanyl and its precursor chemicals have remained an important issue in those discussions.
The latest measures give Chinese law-enforcement agencies clearer procedures for dealing with fentanyl-related crimes while placing additional controls on the international trade of certain precursor chemicals.