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Gulfport Police want to make the public aware of counterfeit Oxycodone Tablets that actually contain Fentanyl due to the risk of overdose and death. Over the course of the past several weeks, Gulfport Narcotics Detectives have seized multiple blue pills marked with an “A215” which indicate that the pills are Oxycodone. When the pills were analyzed at the DEA Laboratory, the pills were found to actually contain Fentanyl with no Oxycodone present.
Gulfport Police Chief Leonard Papania wants to make the public aware of these counterfeit Fentanyl tablets. Individuals illicitly purchasing tablets believed to be Oxycodone may actually be receiving a fatal Fentanyl dose. Drug dealers will many times sell these pills that are not what they claim resulting in drug users being unaware of what they are actually purchasing. This type of counterfeit pill activity makes the illegal drug trade especially dangerous.
Although the counterfeit pill market is nothing new, it becomes life and death when Fentanyl is involved. The Gulfport Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration are working diligently to identify the source of the counterfeit pills. Derryle Smith, DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge stated “DEA and our state and local partners are being proactive in investigating these cases. These type of heroin and fentanyl-related compounds are drugs manufactured specifically to meet the demand of opioid addicts. Fentanyl is deadly at the microgram level. Make no mistake, misuse of fentanyl will kill you! “
The Gulfport Police Department and the DEA encourage residents to call 228-868-5959 to report illegal narcotics activity.
(While not an actual photo of the recovered pills, this photo is very similar)