Africa: UN Drug Alert Stops Shipment That Could Have Made 1.6 Billion Lethal Fentanyl Doses
AllAfrica
February 26, 2026
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An international early warning system successfully intercepted a shipment of chemicals used to produce fentanyl, which could have potentially yielded up to 1.6 billion lethal doses. The interception, highlighted by the UN's International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), underscores the importance of global cooperation in combating the illegal drug trade. Using its pre-export notification platform, authorities were able to stop the diversion of three tons of the precursor chemical 1-boc-4-piperidone, which could have been used to manufacture between 700 million and 1.6 billion doses of fentanyl.
The INCB's report emphasizes that this case is part of a broader success story in international collaboration. The organization works under three global drug control conventions to monitor the cultivation, manufacturing, and trade of controlled substances, ensuring they are only available for medical and scientific purposes. This
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Originally published on AllAfrica on 2/26/2026