Disturbance call leads to a quarter million dollar fentanyl bust
Jun 6, 2022, 7:23 AM
This undated file photo provided by the U.S. Attorneys Office for Utah and introduced as evidence at a trial shows fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills collected during an investigation. (Associated Press)
(Associated Press)
ESCALANTE, Utah — Two men are in custody and a juvenile is in a youth facility after police said a large amount of fentanyl was found in the trunk of a car.
The Garfield County Sheriff’s office said they responded to a call of a disturbance at 11:30 on Sunday on Highway 12 near mile marker 2. Upon arrival, they said they found a man trying to push a red Cadillac. Another man was in the driver’s seat. A female and a juvenile were also in the car, police said.
An initial search of the vehicle led police to a small amount of fentanyl. Further investigation yielded what police described as eight bags of Fentanyl in the trunk of the vehicle, with approximately 1,000 pills each.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine according to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency.
The value of the bags equals nearly $250,000, police said.
Two male suspects, ages 23 and 24, were booked and arrested. The woman, age 21, was hospitalized due to health concerns, and the juvenile was taken to a youth facility in Richfield, Utah.
Charges are pending for all four people.
This story will be updated.
Related reading:
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- Fentanyl overdoses killing more Americans than COVID-19
