But the overdose death of an 18-year-old in North Dakota in early 2015 sparked a global investigation that has uncovered a massive illicit drug-distribution network spanning the U.S., Canada and China. He said he communicated with Vivas Ceron via email and WICKR, an app that encrypts messages and deletes them after a certain period of time. Homeland Security investigator began to communicate with Vivas Ceron, negotiating multiple purchases of fentanyl using bank wires and Bitcoin virtual currency. Zhang, according to court documents, operated under the business name “Zaron Bio-tech” and played a leadership role. At least 10 other individuals in North Dakota and Oregon have already pleaded guilty in connection with the investigation.

Source: National Post October 17, 2017 22:33 UTC