Surat-Based Chemical Firm Founder Admits To Fentanyl Smuggling

India-West News Desk

BROOKLYN, NY – Bhavesh Lathiya, a 37-year-old Indian national and founder of Surat-based Raxuter Chemicals, has pleaded guilty in federal court to smuggling and distributing fentanyl precursor chemicals to the United States.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, Lathiya admitted to supplying chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl while knowing their intended use. He faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. The case marks the first felony conviction of an India-based supplier of fentanyl precursor chemicals.

Prosecutors said Lathiya and his company shipped more than 50 pounds of precursor chemicals to the United States and Mexico, using international mail and package carriers. To avoid detection, shipments were mislabeled and customs forms falsified.

Court filings detail multiple instances of mislabeling. On or about June 29, 2024, a package sent to an address in the Eastern District of New York was declared as “Vitamin C,” but contained 1-boc-4-piperidone, a controlled precursor chemical used in fentanyl production.

Authorities also cited interactions with an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officer in October 2024. During recorded video calls, Lathiya discussed prior shipments and agreed to sell 20 kilograms of 1-boc-4-piperidone. He also suggested mislabeling the substance as an antacid. A shipment of approximately 20 kilograms was later sent on or about November 23, 2024, to the Eastern District of New York with false labeling, according to the complaint.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid classified as a Schedule II controlled substance, is significantly more potent than heroin and morphine and remains a major drug threat in the United States.

Authorities said drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel, have relied on precursor chemicals supplied by companies operating in countries such as India and China.