Yesterday on the 21st, the Southern District of New York Federal Court continued to hear the case involving Amarvel Biotech from Hubei Province, China, accused of illegally shipping fentanyl precursor chemicals to the United States. The court session continued to play video recordings of undercover DEA agent Gil posing as a customer, meeting with Wang Qingzhou, the owner of Amarvel Biotech, and translator Chen Yiyi in March 2023 in Bangkok and in June in Fiji.
During the Bangkok meeting, Chen Yiyi introduced Gil to the company’s products, saying, “Generally, our customers will use these three chemicals we provide to produce the final product (fentanyl),” and mentioned that sales representative Anita (Yang Er) would communicate the product details with him. After the meeting, Chen Yiyi created a WhatsApp group named “Mexican Project” and told Gil, “Looking forward to starting our cooperation soon.”
In late March, Yang Er provided Gil with a list containing product names and CAS numbers, saying, “Please choose one product you would like to produce the most, I can pick and send you the raw materials for producing that product, and then ship it to you.”
She suggested using piperidine as the top choice, calling it “the best-selling fentanyl precursor in Mexico.” She emphasized the need for secrecy in the transaction, stating, “Because it is prohibited in China.” She mentioned, “After the first order is completed, I will compile all the raw materials needed for the products in the photos and send them to you.”
In a video conference in April, Gil proposed ordering 210 kilograms of chemicals worth $45,800, which could ultimately produce about 55 kilograms of finished fentanyl, enough to kill 25 million Americans with a lethal dose.
Despite knowing that these chemicals would be used to manufacture fentanyl, Chen Yiyi conveyed to Wang Qingzhou through translation, “He said he wants 50-55 kilograms of the final product, asking how long it will take to deliver to New York?” Wang responded, “I need to check the schedule, if we have stock, about 10 days, if not, then 15 days.”
In May, Yang Er changed the delivery location from New York to California, citing strict inspections in New York, for safety reasons, and mentioned that they would attempt to send the product to the East Coast of the United States next time.
In June, Gil met with Chen Yiyi and Wang Qingzhou again in Fiji, where Chen Yiyi revealed that Amarvel Biotech was continuously updating its production technology and logistics routes to deal with law enforcement risks. She said, “We have prepared some topics for long-term cooperation discussions.”
Wang inquired about how to deal with the issue of goods being seized in the U.S., to which Gil suggested replicating the method used in Mexico, “Pay to smooth things over with officials.”
When discussing an order involving multiple tons of fentanyl precursor chemicals, Wang stressed, “The first is the production quantity, the second is to reduce operations and lower risks.” He proposed delivering goods every two months instead of every month to shorten transportation time and reduce seizure risks.
Regarding the evidence presented by the prosecution during the trial, highlighting Amarvel Biotech’s attempts to cover up the illegal nature of the transactions and deliberately evade law enforcement risks, the defense focused on legitimate business activities during questioning of witnesses, seeking to weaken the effectiveness of the prosecution’s evidence. Wang Qingzhou’s defense lawyer argued that drug dealers typically use cash transactions to avoid tracking, while Amarvel Biotech used company letterheads, websites, phone numbers, and addresses, showing its transparency, despite payments being made in cryptocurrency.
Additionally, there were attempts to shift responsibility onto translator Chen Yiyi and undercover agent Gil, stating that Wang Qingzhou did not directly participate in WhatsApp group chats or private conversations and that all communication was through the translator or sales representative Yang Er. The meetings were initiated by the undercover agent Gil as part of a sting operation, not at Wang’s initiative.