A major drug bust seized enough fentanyl to “kill a quarter of the population of California.”
On Friday, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) released a statement on Facebook detailing a routine traffic stop that somehow turned into a massive fentanyl bust.
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“Last week, while conducting a traffic stop on I-5 near Airport Blvd., a California Highway Patrol Officer and a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Detective uncovered an alarming amount of fentanyl-laced pills,” they wrote. “What started as a routine stop for a traffic violation quickly escalated when Sheriff’s K9 Ronan signaled the scent of narcotics, leading to the discovery of two duffel bags and a shopping bag filled with counterfeit M30 pills.”
In total, police confiscated over 66 pounds of counterfeit oxycodone—that’s around 330,000 pills.
“For perspective, the [Drug Enforcement Administration] reports it only takes a few milligrams of fentanyl to be deadly. With enough pills in this seizure to create between 10-15 million lethal doses, it’s an amount that could kill a quarter of the population of California,” the statement continued.
“This critical interception is part of our ongoing efforts with DHE/REACT—a collaborative team including the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, and the Placer County DA’s Office—to curb dangerous drug trafficking along our highways and keep communities safe.”
This isn’t the first huge drug bust in California in recent weeks. In fact, just last month, the CHP seized $1.7 million worth of fentanyl and arrested three suspects during enforcement stops.
Fentanyl remains an ongoing threat to society, but thankfully, authorities are doing more to address the deadly concern.