Discovery Of Pills Part Of Increased Fentanyl Presence
Trending
A December traffic stop in Jamestown resulted in the seizure of more than 9 pounds of blue pills that later tested positive for fentanyl.
In 2022, police recovered 5,551.7 grams -- or just over 12 pounds -- of the potent synthetic opioid in the city. It was by far the most ever collected in a year and continues what has been a growing presence locally of the deadly drug.
"The fentanyl seizures in 2022, even without the large seizure in December, have increased," said Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson. "Fentanyl continues to be a major problem in relation to trafficking and overdoses. Being anywhere between 50-100 times stronger than heroin or morphine, it is extremely dangerous and becoming more prevalent in the community."
December's seizure of the pills -- designed to look like an Oxycodone tablet and valued at about $1.3 million -- netted a Florida woman, Elina Martinez, a federal charge of possession with intent to distribute, and distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Similar pills cropped up late last year in Warren County, where at least two overdose-related deaths have been attributed to the counterfeit pills.
Not counting the December bust, investigators still recovered more than 1,000 grams of fentanyl last year, information included in the Jamestown Police Department's annual report indicates. By comparison, 857 grams of fentanyl were recovered in 2021, in addition to 308 grams in 2020, 161 grams in 2019, 6 grams in 2018, and 7 grams in 2017. Information on narcotics seizures also includes cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, Suboxone, LSD and psilocybin mushrooms.
Due to a rash of fatalities attributed to fentanyl overdoses nationwide, the Drug Enforcement Administration put out a "counterfeit pills fact sheet" in an attempt to warn the public regarding the dangers of counterfeit drugs.
In its fact sheet, the DEA said 9.6 million counterfeit pills were seized by police across the country in 2021. That was more than all of the pills collected in 2020 and 2019 combined. Further, the DEA said counterfeit pills have been identified in all 50 states.
Last summer, the DEA took part in recognizing the first ever National Fentanyl Awareness Day -- an effort to educate individuals on the dangerous threat that fentanyl poses to the safety, health and national security of the American people.
"Fentanyl is killing Americans at unprecedented rates," DEA administrator Anne Milgram said in a statement. "On this first-ever National Fentanyl Awareness Day, please help save lives by making sure you talk with your friends and family about the dangers of this deadly drug."
The DEA cited statistics by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which stated 107,375 people in the United States died of drug overdoses and drug poisonings in the 12-month period ending in January 2022. According to the CDC, 67% of those deaths involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
Some of the deaths, the CDC noted, were attributed to fentanyl mixed with other illicit drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, with many users unaware they were actually taking fentanyl. Only 2 milligrams of fentanyl are considered a potentially lethal dose; it's particularly dangerous for someone who does not have a tolerance to opioids.
Last December, authorities in neighboring Warren County in Pennsylvania said counterfeit fentanyl pills were suspected to have contributed to two drug overdose deaths in one week.
"The pills are small, blue in color and stamped with the marking 'M30,'" said Warren Police Chief Joe Sproveri, whose description mirrored the one given by Jamestown police and the U.S. Attorney's Office after the 9 pounds of pills were found during the traffic stop.
Police in Jamestown are recovering more than just fentanyl. In 2022, 1,024 grams of cocaine were seized along with 736 grams of crack cocaine, and 4,190 grams of methamphetamine.
Narcotics investigations in the city are handled by the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force. Police receive assistance from other agencies, as well.
"Cooperation among agencies is vital to conducting thorough narcotic investigations and holding those accountable for the illegal distribution of narcotics," Jackson said. "Often, the people involved in the distribution of narcotics have ties outside of the area. The Jamestown Police department relies on our county, state, municipal, and federal law enforcement partners to investigate and help hold those accountable for narcotics trafficking."