UN says drug alert stops shipment that could have made 1.6B lethal fentanyl doses

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - An international early warning system blocked a shipment of chemicals that could have produced up to 1.6 billion potentially lethal fentanyl doses, the UN narcotics control body said Thursday.

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) said in an annual report that authorities used its pre-export notification platform to stop the diversion of three tons of the precursor 1-boc-4-piperidone, a chemical intermediary used in the manufacture of fentanyl.

"Had the shipment not been intercepted, it could have been used to manufacture an estimated 1.4 to 3.3 tons of fentanyl -- between 700 million and 1.6 billion doses of the deadly street drug," said the report.

It noted that the interception that occurred last March is one of several examples cited by the INCB to illustrate an "international success story" in terms of cooperation.

"Tackling the trafficking and misuse of drugs, while ensuring the availability of essential medicines, has been carried out effectively over the last 60 years through the drug control conventions, a robust framework for working together with almost universal support," said Board President Sevil Atasoy.

"Our role is to reinforce the cooperative efforts of countries and territories through our work," she added.