GULFPORT, Miss. — Police in Mississippi and the Drug Enforcement Administration want to make the public aware of counterfeit oxycodone tablets that contain fentanyl due to its risk of overdose and death.
Gulfport Police Chief Leonard Papania tells news outlets Monday that over the last few weeks his narcotics detectives have seized blue pills marked “A215,” which indicates the pills are oxycodone.
However, the pills were found to contain fentanyl without any oxycodone when they were analyzed at a DEA laboratory.
Derryle Smith with the DEA says they are unable to currently attach a specific number of illnesses or death to this bath of counterfeit pills.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.