The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury has identified a Chinese national as a Significant Foreign Narcotics Trafficker pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, for shipping synthetic opioids used to make fentanyl to the United States. In addition, OFAC has designated a Hong Kong-based company owned or controlled by Taotao Zhang, the Chinese national. According to OFAC, Zhang has used the company, Allyrise Technology Group Co., Limited, as a front company for his financial transactions.
The designations were the result of a coordinated effort between OFAC, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Newark office, and the DEA’s Special Operations Division. As a result of these designations, all US property belonging to this individual and entity are blocked, and all transactions in the US are generally prohibited.