US hails China's crackdown on fentanyl

Investigators in a small Maryland city about 70 miles northwest of Washington recently seized 2 kilograms of fentanyl - enough to kill about 1 million people.

The drug, a synthetic opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, is legally prescribed to treat patients with chronic pain, especially after surgery.

But someone with a basic knowledge of chemistry could synthesize the drug using legally obtained ingredients, mix it with other illegal drugs or even harmless powder, and turn a quick profit. Criminals also slightly alter the chemical composition of the drug to evade the law.