{"id":1668,"date":"2026-06-23T07:14:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T07:14:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xrpfaucet.site\/?p=1668"},"modified":"2026-06-23T07:14:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T07:14:37","slug":"how-a-fentanyl-smuggling-ring-defrauded-crypto-investors-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xrpfaucet.site\/?p=1668","title":{"rendered":"How a fentanyl smuggling ring defrauded crypto investors in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"@container mb-(25px) rounded-sm overflow-clip py-0.5 pr-0.5 pl-2.5 bg-success-100\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-m overflow-clip rounded-(6px) !bg-success-10 p-3 @(420px):p-m\">\n<h2 class=\"m-0 flex items-center gap-s text-(19px) !text-(#1c1c1c) md:text-(20px)\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"10\" viewbox=\"0 0 16 10\" fill=\"none\" class=\"shrink-0 text-success-100\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M1 1.5h14\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><path d=\"M1 8.5h10\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><span>Key conclusions<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul class=\"m-0 flex list-none flex-col gap-m pl-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 flex items-start gap-s !text-(#434248)\"><span class=\"mt-2 size-2 shrink-0 rounded-full bg-success-100\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><span class=\"text-body\">Nikkei found that the zksync.jp scam stole hundreds of millions of yen, linking the Japanese crypto-fraud to the drug market.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 flex items-start gap-s !text-(#434248)\"><span class=\"mt-2 size-2 shrink-0 rounded-full bg-success-100\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><span class=\"text-body\">With more than 120 transfers detected, Hubei Amarvel Biotech is next facing scrutiny over its links to the illegal drug market.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 flex items-start gap-s !text-(#434248)\"><span class=\"mt-2 size-2 shrink-0 rounded-full bg-success-100\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><span class=\"text-body\">US offers $5 million for Wuhan leader Yuancheng as DEA next targets Japan&#8217;s transit markets.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Chinese Fentanyl Network Linked to Crypto Fraud Token in Japan<\/h2>\n<p>Drug trafficking networks are increasingly linked to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bitcoin.com\/get-started\/a-quick-introduction-to-crypto\/\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">cryptocurrency<\/a> fraud, even as a secondary activity in addition to their main illegal activity.<\/p>\n<p>Local reports <a href=\"https:\/\/asia.nikkei.com\/economy\/trade-war\/fentanyl-s-hidden-routes\/chinese-fentanyl-network-suspected-of-crypto-fraud-via-japan-base\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">to show<\/a> which also involved a criminal group that allegedly exported fentanyl precursors from China to America <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bitcoin.com\/get-started\/a-quick-introduction-to-crypto\/\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">cryptocurrency<\/a> fraud in Japan involving multiple victims.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-825101\" src=\"https:\/\/static.news.bitcoin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/japanfentanylcrypto-768x1619.png\" alt=\"An infographic explaining Japan's ZKSYNC fentanyl connections\" width=\"1280\" height=\"2698\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.news.bitcoin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/japanfentanylcrypto-142x300.png 142w, https:\/\/static.news.bitcoin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/japanfentanylcrypto-486x1024.png 486w, https:\/\/static.news.bitcoin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/japanfentanylcrypto-768x1619.png 768w, https:\/\/static.news.bitcoin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/japanfentanylcrypto-729x1536.png 729w, https:\/\/static.news.bitcoin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/japanfentanylcrypto-696x1467.png 696w, https:\/\/static.news.bitcoin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/japanfentanylcrypto.png 864w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>According to a Nikkei investigation, the group issued a fraudulent token called zksync.jp, using the prestige of a Japanese internet domain and the domain&#8217;s similarity to an existing payment system as a tip to get unsuspecting users to invest in its platform.<\/p>\n<p>The group used a Japanese company called Firsky, which was linked to Chinese chemical maker Hubei Amarvel Biotech, two of whose executives were convicted in the US last year of close ties to Chinese drug lords.<\/p>\n<p>Losses reported by victims run into hundreds of millions of yen or millions of dollars.<\/p>\n<p>The activity could be used <a href=\"https:\/\/news.bitcoin.com\/mexico-and-the-eu-join-forces-to-target-global-crypto-money-laundering\/\">launder money<\/a> proceeds from fentanyl-related sales, as Amarvel, which was Firsky&#8217;s parent company, often conducted <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bitcoin.com\/get-started\/a-quick-introduction-to-crypto\/\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">cryptocurrency<\/a> transfers with Chinese financial fraud groups.<\/p>\n<p>More than 120 such transfers were discovered, linking the organization to the Wuhan Yuangcheng group, which was led by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/chuen-fat-yip\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">appointed<\/a> by the US State Department as &#8220;one of the most prolific suppliers of anabolic steroids in the world&#8221; who also exported fentanyl precursors to the US. The department is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his capture.<\/p>\n<p>Japan <a href=\"https:\/\/asia.nikkei.com\/economy\/trade-war\/fentanyl-s-hidden-routes\/japan-part-of-fentanyl-smuggling-route-us-official-says\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">to serve<\/a> According to David King, special agent in charge of the DEA&#8217;s Asia-Pacific division, as a transit area for drug-trafficking organizations that enjoy lax controls on commercial shipments to America compared to China.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key conclusions Nikkei found that the zksync.jp scam stole hundreds of millions of yen, linking the Japanese crypto-fraud to the drug market. With more than 120 transfers detected, Hubei Amarvel Biotech is next facing scrutiny over its links to the illegal drug market. US offers $5 million for Wuhan leader Yuancheng as DEA next targets &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1669,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[258,583],"class_list":["post-1668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-japan","tag-money-laundering"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xrpfaucet.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xrpfaucet.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xrpfaucet.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xrpfaucet.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xrpfaucet.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1668"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xrpfaucet.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1668\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xrpfaucet.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1669"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xrpfaucet.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xrpfaucet.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xrpfaucet.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}