Law Enforcement Concerned About China’s Role in Synthetic Drug Manufacturing

Law enforcement officials are increasingly concerned that China, with a large and poorly regulated drug manufacturing sector, is becoming a major producer of synthetic drugs such as Spice.

Recently a Chinese chemist named Haijun Tian, a leading manufacturer and exporter of chemicals used to create Spice, was arrested by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The New York Times reports.

The arrest took place at Los Angeles International Airport, where Tian had just come off a flight from China. His arrest was the culmination of an elaborate sting operation aimed at reducing the importation and sale of Spice, the article notes. DEA officials said they hope information from Tian will help them better understand the world of synthetic drug manufacturing, where chemists continually make chemical changes to stay one step ahead of federal regulators.

Tian came to Los Angeles after a major customer became a confidential DEA informant. The customer told the DEA about 70 percent of the Spice sold in the United States is made from chemicals that come from Tian’s laboratory.

Once Spice chemicals are made, they are shipped in powdered form through commercial couriers to wholesalers in the United States. The packages are labeled fertilizers or industrial solvents. The wholesalers liquefy the powder in acetone or alcohol. They then apply the liquid to plant material, and package it in pouches.

Spice is also known as synthetic marijuana. Hospitals across the country recently reported hundreds of cases of seriously ill people coming to the emergency room after using synthetic marijuana.

According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, health effects of synthetic marijuana can include severe agitation and anxiety; fast, racing heartbeat and high blood pressure; nausea and vomiting; muscle spasms, seizures, and tremors; intense hallucinations and psychotic episodes; and suicidal and other harmful thoughts and/or actions.